#exo reader insert

“Of course I trust you” you speak a bit too fast and his expression falters. “Just that… it feels so strange. So unfamiliar. Like I’ve never done it before. Did I? I don’t even know” you admit quietly. His thumb strokes your cheek.

“We don’t have to go further than that if you don’t want to.” He leans in, his lips hovering your ear. “I could ruin you with just my voice, you know that?” he whispers. “I don’t need to do more.”

The shiver that runs down your spine makes a small whimper rip out of your throat, and it blends with the sound of Jongin’s deep chuckle. Your fingers clutch the front of his shirt and you don’t think in time to stop yourself before your hips grind down against his, eliciting a moan from him as well.

You can’t say that you dislike the sound. So you roll your hips against him again, making him throw his head back with a strained noise straight from his throat.

“Fuck… Easy there.” He strengthens his hold on your waist to keep you in place. Maybe to anchor himself as well.

Your shoulders shake in a laughter, and, hells, are you seeing a hint of blush on his cheeks?

“I guess I have to hurry to ruin you” he suddenly huffs, a playful smirk in the corner of his lip. “Or I’m risking that you will ruin me first.”

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In the private sanctuary of your home gym, the air was filled with the warmth of exertion, beads of sweat glistening like precious gems on Baekhyun's forehead. The room resonated with the rhythmic sounds of his determined grunts, each echo serving as proof of his unwavering commitment to self-improvement. As you observed his efforts from one of the benches, you couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration mingled with a healthy dose of amusement.

"Baby, tell me again why I'm working so damn hard?" Baekhyun's voice carried an exasperated tone, punctuated by a groan that seemed to emanate from the depths of his being. You couldn't help but chuckle softly, appreciating the endearing blend of vulnerability and determination that he displayed.

"Because you're on a mission to shed those extra pounds, my darling," you replied, your voice a gentle, supportive melody amidst the backdrop of his physical struggle. Your gaze was filled with affection and encouragement, a silent promise that you were there for him, no matter how much he despised this particular activity.

An adorable pout emerged on Baekhyun's sweaty face, his disheveled hair clinging to his forehead and rivulets of perspiration tracing intricate patterns down his temples. With a tone that bordered on petulance, he grumbled, "I really hate working out."

Empathy surged within you as you empathized with his sentiment. The journey towards self-improvement was indeed a treacherous road, marked by sweat, discomfort, and moments of self-doubt.

Yet, as you continued to watch your husband's unwavering efforts, an unexpected and exhilarating sensation began to stir within you. The sight of his glistening, athletic figure, shaped by his relentless dedication, sent a thrilling ache deep into the core of your being.

In that intimate home gym setting, Baekhyun wore a snug-fitting black sports shirt that hugged his torso with precision and a pair of sleek black shorts. His movements were rhythmic and determined as he pressed the barbell, his arms lifting in a monotonous repetition that showcased the full extent of his strength and commitment.

Your gaze, initially focused on his contorted face and the sheer effort etched into his features, gradually wandered. It traced the sinuous lines of his bulging biceps, lingered on the strain evident in his forearms, and followed the graceful sweep of his hands as they gripped the barbell handle. Your eyes danced across his chest, sculpted and defined, as it moved with each measured breath, the fabric of his tight shirt accentuating every contour. Eventually, your gaze landed, almost by its own volition, on his clothed crotch.

It was a momentary lapse into a wild, carnal reverie that sent your thoughts spiraling into uncharted territory. Your husband was busy doing exercises while you couldn't help but acknowledge the daring thoughts that infiltrated your mind, tempting you to entertain the desires you hadn't anticipated before—what an absolute mad woman that you are. You even marveled at the dichotomy of your character, embracing the passionate desires that now gripped you.

"You know," you began, your voice taking on a tone that suggested deep contemplation, "there are other ways to achieve your weight loss goals…"

Baekhyun, intrigued by this unexpected change in conversation, momentarily paused his movements at the bench press. With beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, he carefully placed the barbell back into its resting position, sitting up to fully focus his attention on you. In his quest for weight loss, he was open to exploring any viable alternatives that didn't involve the strenuous workouts he currently endured.

"What do you have in mind?" he inquired, his curiosity evident in the quirk of his eyebrow, his breaths still heavy from his exertions.

You approached him, your movements slow and tantalizingly sensual, igniting a spark of anticipation in his eyes. Baekhyun couldn't help but wonder about the intriguing proposition you were about to unveil, eager to explore a path that promised relief from the relentless grind of his workout routine.

As you positioned yourself directly in front of your seated husband, a magnetic pull drew you closer to him. Your arms found their way around his neck, fingers sliding sensuously up and down his warm, wide, familiar shoulders. Baekhyun responded instinctively, his strong arms encircling your waist, and his eyes fixed intently on yours, awaiting your response to his earlier question.

"Sex," you declared with a sly and mischievous grin, "it's enjoyable and it also happens to be a calorie-burning activity."

Baekhyun couldn't help but playfully roll his eyes as if the suggestion was almost too elementary. "Baby, we do that all the time," he quipped, running his hands from your waist to your hips in a gentle, affectionate caress. He couldn't resist the urge to probe further, a hint of playful curiosity in his voice, "You want more of it, is that it?"

A sly smirk crept across your face, a silent acknowledgment of the delightful connection you shared with your husband, one that allowed you to explore the boundaries of your desires openly.

"Why not?" you responded with a teasing counter-question, your voice a sultry whisper. "Have you any idea how irresistibly wild I become when my hands trace the contours of your broad shoulders, gliding over your sexy back? It's especially true when you're deep inside me, our bodies locked in a passionate embrace, and you become my only anchor, drawing you closer to me with each thrust."

The sudden admission of your innermost desires took Baekhyun by surprise. He had been in the midst of taking a sip from his water bottle as you passionately voiced your cravings, causing him to choke and sputter, his coughs echoing through the room.

Your playful teasing and the unexpected unveiling of your carnal fantasies had left Baekhyun in a state of bewilderment. Glistening water droplets adorned his lips and chin as he gasped for breath. The air in the room was punctuated by the sound of his choked laughter and gasps for breath, charged with the aftermath of your audacious confession. The sight of his disheveled state, hair touseled, and eyes wide with surprise, only served to fuel your sense of amusement.

As you discreetly began to step back, attempting to conceal your playful escape from Baekhyun's notice, he finally regained his composure. His eyes locked onto your mischievous expression and he realized your intentions.

In a lightning-fast maneuver, he hurled a nearby pillow in your direction, setting off a chain of reactions of giggles and excitement. You darted away, the thrill of the chase coursing through your veins as you squealed with delight. Baekhyun, equally charged by the playful exchange, joined in with equal enthusiasm.

"You better run fast, ___!" he exclaimed, his laughter infectious and echoing through the entire room.

The gym transformed into a playground of joy as your husband pursued you with all the vigor of a man on a mission. With each step, he drew closer to you, fueled by the pure joy of the moment.

Finally, Baekhyun seized the perfect opportunity to catch you by surprise. As you scrambled in search of a hiding spot, attempting to catch your breath during a brief respite from your spirited sprint, he stealthily closed the gap between you two. With a fluid, unexpected maneuver, his strong and muscular arms, further accentuated by the pump from his recent workout, enveloped your waist. His hold was secure and unyielding as you attempted to wriggle free, your laughter harmonizing with his deep chuckles.

"Got you," he teased, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Baekhyun's playful assault continued as he planted affectionate kisses on your neck and launched a merciless tickling attack on your sides. Your laughter intensified, and you pleaded with him between giggles.

“Babe, stop tickling me!” you laugh-cried out, your pleas punctuated by uncontrollable laughter.

“No can do, baby,” he purred in reply, a devilish grin playing on his lips, and he resumed his relentless tickling onslaught on your sides and neck.

You couldn't help but whine, tears of laughter prickling the corners of your eyes. In the midst of your ticklish struggle, you gasped for breath.

“Pleaseeee,” you begged, your voice laced with mock desperation.

Baekhyun finally relented, his fingers withdrawing from their tickling mission. "Fine," he conceded with a grin, "only if you keep your word."

As you caught your breath and regained your composure, you tilted your head in curiosity, puzzled by his cryptic request. "What do you mean?"

"The one you told me earlier," Baekhyun cleared his throat as he clarified, a slight blush tinting his cheeks, "the thing about exercising and sex." His last words came out as a soft murmur as if he were suddenly feeling bashful about broaching the subject.

Recognition flashed across your face and a sly Cheshire grin returned. "Oh!" you exclaimed with a sly wink, "Of course, babe. I fully intend to fulfill my promise, Girl Scout's honor!"

Your newfound confidence seemed to double over as you witnessed your husband become so shy and adorable. Although he couldn't discern the specific thoughts swirling within your mind, he could sense that you were planning something, and the element of surprise only added to the playful tension between you two.

With an alluring, purposeful stride, you closed the distance between you and Baekhyun, your fingers reaching out to seize his hand. Wordlessly, you guided him back to the exercise equipment he had been using earlier, the bench press.

Perching yourself sensuously on the bench you encouraged Baekhyun to position himself in front of you. As you gracefully knelt down, your eyes bore into his with a teasing smirk, and you spoke in a sultry tone as you looked up at him, "Now, I'm going to devour you."

The boldness and urgency of your actions took Baekhyun by surprise, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded. He allowed you to take control, his anticipation building with each passing moment.

Eagerly, you began to pull down his shorts and boxers, exposing his length until they pooled around his knees. Your delicate fingers wrapped around him, stroking his engorged cock a few times.

Baekhyun's breaths grew ragged as you teased the dripping slit with your slender fingers, eliciting a series of hisses and shudders under his breath whenever the pad of your thumb caressed that sensitive spot.

Once satisfied with the reactions you were drawing from him, you lowered your head, anticipation hanging thick in the air. Without further ado, you wrapped your plush, eager lips around his throbbing cock. A guttural groan of pleasure tore Baekhyun's throat, hips jerking involuntarily as he found himself enveloped in the warm, wet haven of your mouth.

Baekhyun's pupils dilated, blown wide as he gazed down at you, his tongue flicking out to wet his own lips in anticipation.

"Shit, baby, fuck," he drawled out, his voice laced with longing and desire, his hand slowly finding its way from his side to the soft tangle of your hair.

You anchored your hands firmly on his thighs, grounding yourself as you sensuously bobbed your head along the length of his throbbing arousal. The intoxicating blend of his natural musk, mingled with the sheen of sweat, created a heady cocktail of desire that strangely aroused you further.

Baekhyun was unrestrained, his reactions loud and unabashed. His gasps, sighs, and primal grunts filled the air, an erotic symphony that echoed through the room, igniting a delightful smile within you. You relished the beautiful sounds he was making, reveling in the way his body responded to your skilled ministrations.

With practiced expertise, you hollowed your mouth even further, allowing him to penetrate deeper, brushing against the back of your throat. The intense sensation brought tears to the corners of your eyes, a testament to the intensity of the moment and the allure of your husband's desire.

The rhythmic motion of your head, fueled by a fiery passion, created an echo of sinful sounds that seemed to reverberate around the gym, forming a seductive melody for Baekhyun's ears. Every calculated move you made sent ripples of pleasure coursing though him, intensifying the experience beyond his wildest fantasies. His grip on your scalp tightened, yanking almost painfully hard, only to trail down the curve of your neck with a featherlight touch that sent shivers down your spine. The contrast between his fierce hold and gentle caress was addicting, heightening the tension in the room.

Amid the symphony of passion that engulfed you both, whispered curses slipped from his lips like silent prayers, each word laden with desire and need. The sheer intensity of the encounter drove Baekhyun to the brink of ecstasy, a place where every sensation was heightened and every touch felt like an exquisite torment.

One of your hands deftly moved to grip Baekhyun's throbbing shaft, synchronizing with the movements of your mouth as you expertly bobbed your head around the tip. Your hand, slick with anticipation, effortlessly stroked along his length, the combination of your warm, wet mouth and the firm, yet tender grip sending waves of pleasure washing over him. It was an orchestration of aching pleasure that left him teetering on the edge of release.

As you continued your passionate ministrations, you reassured yourself that your position on the narrow bench was secure, and Baekyun's grasp on you wouldn't cause any accidental mishaps. With a newfound boldness, you shifted the remaining hand that had been using Baekhyun's thigh for support to cup his velvety-soft testicles. Your fingers gently fondled and squeezed, adding a stimulating dimension to the sensory overload you were subjecting him to.

All these combined actions pushed Baekhyun closer to the precipice of ecstasy, gradually eroding his control over the pleasure that had been building within him.

"Baby, I'm gonna cum," he whimpered, his voice laced with longing and desperation.

Hearing those words, a surge of determination coursed through you. Your movements quickened, your mouth working in perfect harmony with your stroking hand and the tantalizing fondling of his sensitive marbles. The sultry sounds that Baekhyun was emitting stirred a hunger within you and you couldn't help but press your thighs together, your panties growing incessantly damp with your own arousal.

Baekhyun's thrusts grew more aggressive as he chased the elusive peak of pleasure, reducing your mouth to a warm, inviting haven for him to thrust into relentlessly. Your lips made audible clucking sounds and the drool dribbled down your chin as his fervor escalated.

By this point, your hands had abandoned their quest of adding pleasurable sensations to Baekhyun's cock and balls, and instead gripped the bench for support, clutching for dear stability as his cock continued to penetrate your mouth with a relentless urgency. Your eyes rolled back and your body surrendered to the intoxicating haze of lust, matching his fervor stroke for stroke as the two of you neared the pinnacle of desire.

With one final, sloppy thrust, Baekhyun's grip tightened around his pulsating cock. He swiftly withdrew it from your eager mouth, a glistening trail of your combined saliva connecting your lips and his throbbing cock.

He unleashed a torrent of thick, white cum, the hot ropes splattering across your face with unrestrained force. Some streaks landed on your flushed cheeks, others found their mark in the middle of your forehead, and a generous portion filled your mouth, the salty, intoxicating taste an irresistible temptation.

As Baekhyun's eyes fluttered closed in the throes of orgasmic release, a deep, guttural groan escaped his lips. He continued to stroke his cock in rapid succession, each movement accompanied by a powerful surge of pleasure as he sought to relieve himself of every last drop.

As he peered down at you through half-lidded eyes, a mischievous thought crossed his mind and he allowed his intrusive desire to take hold. With his half-hard cock still in hand, he smudged the glistening cream across your face, a wicked grin playing on his lips. His fingers artfully guided the thick, sticky substance, creating an erotic tableau across your flushed skin as he essentially played with his own release.

"You look incredibly hot like this, darling," he murmured affectionately, his voice laced with undeniable desire. He reveled in the decadent sight before him, appreciating the way his cum adorned your features like a tantalizing mask.

Your fingers delicately swiped across your cum-splattered face, gathering the evidence of his passion. With a boldness that mirrored his own, you brought your fingers to your mouth, savoring the taste of him, your tongue dancing sensuously over your digits.

Baekhyun, aroused by your unabashed act and the provocative tableau before him, couldn't resist the pull any longer. Leaning down to meet you, he initiated a deep, passionate kiss, his tongue intertwining with yours. It was a tantalizing exchange, a melding of desires as he tasted himself on your lips and reveled in the shared intimacy of the moment.

Baekhyun's firm, gentle grip found the towel he had left nearby the bench press earlier, after his spirited chase had left you both breathless. He proceeded to tenderly wipe your face clean of his now-drying release, his movements carrying a tender, affectionate air.

As he was about to pull his shorts back up, thinking that the "exercise" had finally concluded, a sudden curiosity tugged at your thoughts, prompting you to inquire about his actions.

"What are you doing?" you asked, your voice a mixture of intrigue and a hint of playfulness.

Confused by the unexpected question, Baekhyun responded, though it sounded more like a query than a statement, "Leaving?"

You arched a curious brow at him, silently pressing for more information, as if your raised eyebrow was an unspoken question in itself, asking why he was leaving.

"I'm going to shower, darling," Baekhyun finally explained, his words laced with anticipation of the soothing cleansing ritual.

However, your response caught him off guard, you rose from your seat, stepping closer to him and clicking your tongue in a playful yet assertive manner.

"We aren't done here yet, Mr. Byun," you admonished, seizing his hand with purpose and guiding him back toward the bench.

A mixture of confusion and adorable curiosity played across your husband's face, his expression a captivating blend of wonder and anticipation as he inquired, "We aren't?"

You shook your head, a sly glint in your eyes. "Oh no, we still have one more exercise to complete," you declared, punctuating your statement with a flirtatious wink, leaving Baekhyun intrigued and eager to see what you had in store for your unconventional workout routine.

As you gently guided your husband back to the bench, a playful command danced upon your lips. With an air of confident allure, you instructed him to touch himself while you prepared to indulge in a provocative striptease before him.

One by one, pieces of your clothing cascaded down, forming a tantalizing pile of discarded attire on the gym floor. Baekhyun's eyes remained fixated on you, watching in rapt attention as the live-action, erotic performance unfolded right before him.

With a subtle, graceful twirl, you showcased your allure for him, inviting him to explore the contours of your body with his eager gaze. Slowly, you strolled towards him, the anticipation in the room electrifying as you straddled his hips, your warmth meeting his in an intimate embrace.

Baekhyun's hands instinctively moved to support your hips as you settled onto his lap. Your folded knees rested on the bench and your feet dangled sensuously at your back. The closeness between you two radiated a magnetic, lustful energy.

"How was the show, Mr. Byun," you inquired with a sultry tone, your soft kisses peppering his jaw and neck. Your fingers entwined with his damp strands of hair, a teasing smile playing on your lips. The intimate playfulness of your words and actions sent shivers of desire down Baekhyun's spine.

The playful use of the pet name "Mr. Byun" had an unexpectedly powerful effect on Baekhyun, further intensifying his arousal with each utterance. Each time you gracefully rolled the affectionate term off your tongue, it seemed to fan the flames of his desire, forging a connection between the pleasure you were giving him and the intimate affection that you both shared. The simple act of addressing him in this way tapped into his deepest fantasies and desires, leaving him enamored by your seductive words and the sensuous experience unfolding before him.

"You're truly a fantasy come true, Mrs. Byun," Baekhyun breathed, his voice laced with reverence and longing. His fingers gently tilted your chin, guiding your gaze back to his face. Without a moment's hesitation, he claimed your lips in a deep, needy kiss, a passionate affirmation of the desire and affection that bound you both in that moment.

As he playfully nipped at your lower lip, catching you off guard, a low, sensual moan escaped your parted lips in response to the pleasurable assault. Baekhyun seized the opportunity, his tongue invading your mouth with fervor. The passionate kiss was a battle of desire and dominance, a fervent exchange that left both of you breathless and longing for more.

Skin met skin, the pace of your grinding against his throbbing length intensified, a growing neediness permeating the room with each tantalizing movement.

"Need you now, Baek," you gasped against his lips, the urgency in your tone mirroring the desperation of your movements.

With fervent agreement, Baekhyun nodded and aligned his aching cock with your entrance. As you lifted your hips off his lap, a simple yet thrilling action created a tantalizing strain against your core, igniting a fire of anticipating and desire that both of you were eager to quench.

With an electrifying jolt of desire, you felt the tip of throbbing cock nestled just at the entrance of your eagerly awaiting heat. Without hesitation or warning, you succumbed to your carnal craving, sinking down onto his length. The angle allowed you to take him in completely, every inch of his cock sliding smoothly inside your slick cunt.

The sudden intrusion sent a shared, unrestrained groan echoing through the room, a symphony of unabashed pleasure. You arched your back, pressing against his chest and gripping his wide shoulders, the overwhelming sensation of being so entirely filled leaving you breathless and dizzy with desire. Baekhyun buried his face against the crook of your neck, his hot breath fanning over your skin as your gummy walls gripped his still-sensitive cock, almost driving him to tears of ecstasy at the corners of his eyes.

"Damn, you're so tight, baby," he grunted, his voice laced with a raw need as he felt the rapid pulsations of your needy cunt constricting around his cock.

As you gradually adjusted to his size, a sultry rhythm began to emerge. You lifted your hips just enough to allow the tip of his cock to tease your sensitive entrance before crashing back down with a fervor that left both of you gasping for breath. The friction intensified, causing Baekhyun to hiss in pleasure and his grip on you to tighten, leaving telltale marks of passion against your skin.

"I'm going to devour you whole, Mr. Byun," you purred, your words punctuated by panting breaths as you maintained the tantalizing pace, bouncing on his cock with relentless determination.

Baekhyun couldn't help but chuckle at your eagerness for a moment, a fleeting hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Of course, you will, Mrs. Byun," he retorted playfully.

However, the levity didn't last long as the undeniable pleasure surged through him, another orgasm looming on the horizon. You continued your relentless assault on his cock, each bounce and powerful descent sending waves of pleasure coursing through both of you. The dynamic between you had shifted, a potent transformation of intimacy that left you feeling empowered as you rode your husband with unbridled lust, the sensations driving him to new heights of ecstasy as he writhed beneath you.

"I won't last very long, baby," Baekhyun whimpered, his eyes squeezed shut as the overwhelming waves of pleasure threatened to consume him.

"Wait for me, I'm almost there," you whispered fervently against the column of his throat, planting open-mouthed kisses along the sensitive skin. With every ounce of strength you had left, you continued to ride him, increasing the speed of your movements with an urgent desire to reach the pinnacle of ecstasy together.

The room was filled with the unmistakable, explicit sound of your passion—the loud sloshing of your juices echoing and mingling with your shared moans and gasps.

"Coming, coming, coming," you murmured feverishly against his ear, the desperation in your voice mirroring the intensity of the pleasure coursing through your veins.

Not a minute later, Baekhyun found himself unable to hold back any longer as well. It was your insatiable drive that had pushed him over the edge. With his mouth seeking the sweet spot of your collarbone, he released his pent-up climax, spurting streaks of warm, cum deep inside you. His thrusts grew sloppy as he rode out the euphoric wave of release, every sensation heightened by the throes of orgasm.

Hunched against his shoulder, you panted, gasping for breath as you felt the warmth of your husband's seed coating your walls. The intense shared climax had left you both trembling and sated, a powerful reminder of the raw, primal connection that bound you together in that moment of ecstasy.

As the intensity of your shared climax slowly ebbed away, you both rode down the waves of pleasure, chests heaving as you caught your breath. The layer of sweat that clung to your bodies glued you together, intensifying the sensation of intimacy that enveloped you two.

In the aftermath of your passion, you clung tightly to each other, reveling in the intimacy you had just shared and the closeness you had just experienced.

Suddenly, Baekhyun's voice broke the peaceful silence, "You're leaking."

A momentary realization washed over you and you remembered the position you were in. You were still seated atop your husband's lap, his strong thighs controlling the width of your spread legs, which had now opened quite wide during the adrenaline of riding him and being rode.

Your dripping cunt, mingling with both yours and his cum, was creating a sensual pool of arousal beneath you.

You playfully rolled your eyes at your husband's comment, leaning in to gently boop his nose with your lips.

"Come on, let's wash up. We're done 'working out' after all," you quipped, a mischievous innuendo hidden within the words that elicited a shared laugh between the two of you.

As you attempted to rise from his lap and stand up, your trembling legs betrayed you and you began to lose your balance. Baekhyun reacted swiftly, catching you just in time before you could stumble to the ground.

His chuckles filled the air as he effortlessly lifted you off the ground, holding you in a bridal-style embrace. You grumbled about the challenges of leg day, wrapping your arms around his neck for support.

"Stupid leg day," you mumbled.

Baekhyun laughed heartily in response, his eyes filled with adoration as he pressed a tender kiss to your sweaty forehead.

“Oh! It’s a picture of you in a car with a guy.” The reporter said eagerly and shoved the phone your way. You briefly looked at the camera, an unimpressed look on your face, before turning back to the phone and squinting again.

You paused for a minute and drew back, your face still scrunched up, and exhaled.

“Nahhhhhh.” The drew out word left your mouth.

The reporter’s head tilted and they frowned.

“But it is! It’s you in Seoul after the Japanese Grand Prix!” He continued, looking very determined. You plastered a confused expression on your face.

“I’ve never been to Seoul before.” His face dropped and he turned back to his phone, as though trying to rationalize what he was hearing.

“Have you just taken a picture of… two random people in a car? To me it honestly doesn’t even look like anything cause it’s so zoomed in but to each their own.” You finished your words with a shrug.

“No, my source told me that that was 100% you! They said they saw you get in the car at the airport.” He continued on, undeterred by your flat disregard.

“I hate to say it, your contact’s wrong. I’ve never even set foot in the country.” You shrugged before turning to your PR manager who was gesturing for you to leave, with rather forceful movements. That was to clue you in that you were in trouble. With her personally or with the boss man, you didn’t know.

“Lovely to see you again, though.” You smiled and held your hand over. The interviewer tentatively took it and you exchanged good-byes before you turned around and left to go onto more interviews. The glance you exchanged with your PR manager told you that you were lucky you had not been caught out on your multiple lies and you heaved a sigh of relief to yourself.

Being the only female driver in a heavily male dominated sport was incredibly stressful. Add to that the eyes of reporters trying to find you doing anything remotely weird to spin it into a scandal and you had a lot of things to worry about. Especially since you had just started a relationship with a highly coveted Kpop singer which you were determined to keep under wraps.

You both had a bet running with each other. The first person to reveal the relationship would lose. There was no consequence but your pride, something which both of you had a bit too much of.

And so, a game was born. It simultaneously made you more careful of revealing your relationship while also making it a fun game.

This also meant that you had to start constantly lying to reporters to get out of tricky situations. Surely nothing bad could ever come from this.

2016: 

“How does it feel to be a key contender for the championship?” Asked a reporter, directing it to, of course, Lewis Hamilton, who was sat beside Daniel in a panel of drivers. You were sat on the other side of Daniel, the small desk in front of you reaching for miles on either side.

As Lewis gave the carbon copy response that he had given to every interviewer so far, Daniel leaned over to whisper in your ear.

“I’m surprised they haven’t called him out on that yet.” He then reached for his plastic water bottle and took a sip. You considered this for a second before leaning to his side and answered, not turning your face from the crowd of reporters.

“I’m surprised they haven’t called you out on your disgusting trim.” He jolted forward at this unprompted attack on his hair and the choking sound he emanated drew attention from all in the room, all watching him with curious eyes as he tried to regain his breath.

“You alright mate?” Lewis asked, one of his eyebrows arching.

“Y-yeah I’m fine.” Daniel replied, waving his hand, eager to have attention off of his spluttering. It took a while but eventually all the cameras were aimed back at Lewis, so Daniel took the opportunity to elbow you hard in the side, your reaction being to topple off your chair dramatically. Usually one for the dramatics, you’re not sure you’ve ever seen Daniel want the cameras off him so much. 

Hidden behind a small desk, you could only hear the questioning tones calling out your name and see Daniel’s slightly panicked face urging you to get up and back on your chair. With one single hand, you reached for the desk and slowly pulled yourself up.

You released a deep breath as you hauled yourself into your seat and turned to face the crowd of reporters who were looking at you. With a grand hand gesture, you motioned for them to continue with their interviews and turned slightly to Daniel with a smile. He shot you back an exasperated glance before your name was called from the crowd of reporters. You looked towards the reporter and he began speaking.

“So, as you’re the only female on the grid I feel the need to ask, if you could date any of the drivers, who would it be?” The eager face he had contrasted with your entirely unimpressed face. You could hear Daniel begin to start speaking and you could feel the defensive energy emanating from the rest of the drivers on the panel, but before any of them could interrupt with scathing criticism about the misogyny that permeated the question, you replied to the reporter.

“Literally none of them, I’d rather die.” Your response was met with general silence before Daniel started laughing as usual.

“Really? You wouldn’t fancy any of them?” The reporter asked, almost in disbelief.

“No!” You said almost equally in disbelief.

“I’m fine with what I have at home!” You added on after a second.

“Are you saying you’re in a relationship???” The reporter was on the edge of his seat, others shoving their microphones and cameras trying to get a good shot. You dramatically pondered that for a second before replying.

“I wouldn’t say that, I just have other things at home.” You said that and then leaned back, shrugged, and didn’t say anything else into the mic even at the reporters continual uproar as they took in the implications of that statement.

You, luckily, were able to avoid the increasingly weird questions by just not answering and smiling. You weren’t as lucky to miss the smirks thrown your way by the other drivers.

2017:

“It doesn’t count!” You said in disbelief, aiming it at the microphone of your phone.

“Mmm I’d say it counts.” Kyungsoo replied back teasingly, his voice echoing into your AirPods. 

“You can’t go back on your word!! You said it was fine last year!” You were sitting at a table in your company's hospitality, having a conversation with Kyungsoo on the phone, blissfully unaware of the interviews going on outside the building which had a clear view into the small area. 

“Yeah but it’s been two years, one of us has to call it quits soon.” Your face contorted before Kyungsoo quickly amended his statement.

“The bet! The bet! Sorry, that came out the wrong way.” 

You just shook your head, a small smile growing on your lips.

“You bastard, you had me a little worried.” He scoffed in response. He had been speaking quietly into the phone as he was hiding in a closet in the SM building, taking a break from practice to talk to you. A true charmer.

“As if.” He replied shortly, a loud scuffling heard on his side.

“One second.” He said, as a banging sound came through into your headphones.

“Come on Hyung! Get off the phone and come back before someone else finds you!” Kai’s voice could be heard through the door. A pause before the banging started again.

“Also tell her I said hello!” You giggled at the younger man’s words and Kyungsoo’s sigh in response.

“I’ll call you after the race, do your best, I love you.” Kyungsoo muttered into his phone before shouting back to Kai something about respect and to shut up. It just made you laugh more.

“I love you too, practice well and I’ll call you soon.” You finally said in response after the yelling died down.

“Bye.” He said before quickly tacking on another “love you” and then he hung up.

After he hung up you just stared at your screen for a second with a smile you would 100% not call radiant on your face. It was quickly wiped off when your PR manager popped up out of nowhere and started talking about interviews, causing you to switch to English as you stood up and followed him.

However, the interview still captured your little moment and the conversation preluding it. You knew this because, when you went back to your phone after the race, Baekhyun had sent you a picture of your smile through the tinted glass with a smirking emoji as well as a picture of Kyungsoo on the floor in the closet in the dark talking to you on the phone, not to mention the hounding you got at the next press conference.

2018:

You knew it was risky to do a live in your own apartment, especially since you were in a completely different country than where you were claiming you were.

But your PR team wanted you to do it, and you couldn’t exactly tell them no, even if you were currently lying to them about your circumstances. You were a bit worried that something unexplainable might happen like the South Korean national anthem suddenly blaring but what you weren’t worried about was the person who you were living with coming back and interrupting your live.

Kyungsoo was at practice and, while you were ok with him skipping it to talk to you on the phone, you didn’t want him to skip it now, as you had been promised a few days without any interruption if he went to every practice. So he was at practice and you were fulfilling all your expected PR duties for the next couple of days, which included the live.

Regardless of your hesitations, you set up your phone on your coffee table facing the entrance to your home and sat on the couch before turning on the live. Immediately people joined, flooding the chat and making your phone vibrate.

“Uhhh hello everyone.” You awkwardly greeted as you tried to think of things to say. Kyungsoo would be fantastic at this, you couldn’t help but think, always having to do live’s with his members.

“How’s everyone’s days been?” You settled on and watched the responses roll into the chat. You noticed a few drivers had joined your live and even a few of the boys from F2 and F3 were watching, which you thought was pretty nice of them considering it was mainly you rambling for around 30 minutes.

Your manager wanted you to do an hour minimum for the live and the time seemed to stretch for years, you continuously making small talk and occasionally replying to comments. You even snuck in a few jokes for the other drivers before, around the 55 minute mark, a sound came from your end.

You furrowed your eyebrows as you wondered where the noise was coming from, looking around the apartment. Quickly standing up, you looked around the apartment, making a lighthearted joke about ghosts as you nervously tried to find the origin of the sound.

You realised that sound was the wrong key being put in the lock as soon as you registered the sound of the correct key being put in.

As Kyungsoo opened the door, you made the biggest leap you think you have ever made. It would’ve had to have been around 4 meters surely. Somehow you had leapt onto the coffee table, knocking your phone down. Kyungsoo was staring at you weirdly as you violently gestured at him to shush. He raised an eyebrow.

“Are you ok?” He asked, his deep voice sounding as lovely as ever. You took a second, contemplating your options in this circumstance before coming to a logical conclusion.

You started to scream.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!” Kyungsoo’s face shifted to one of confusion as yours was full of desperation.

“YOU CRAZY PSYCHO! GET OUT!!” You continued to yell in perfect English, a contrast from his peaceful question, and gestured for Kyungsoo to close the door, which he did, albeit very confused.

As soon as he closed the door, you maneuvered yourself so that you weren’t facing him and quickly picked up your phone from underneath you.

“Oh my god, what just happened.” You said, showing the camera your roof. You picked up the phone and started fidgeting with it.

“‘Are you ok?’ Yeah I’m fine, I just gotta figure out how to change the locks. I’ll uh.. I’ll get back to you guys. See you later.” You said absentmindedly, as you ended the live.

You paused for a second, sat back on your heels, and sighed, staring up at the roof. The sound of footfalls reached your ears and you didn’t react when Kyungsoo placed a hand on your shoulder.

“I’m not losing this bet.” You mumbled, staring at the ground. An incredulous laugh left him at that as he reached his hand further and brought your face to look at him. A smile that there was no other way to describe but goofy was spread across his face.

“You’re still thinking of that?” He asked and you nodded.

“I take our bet very seriously.” You said before he slightly shook his head, gave you a kiss on the forehead, and moved towards the kitchen.

You picked yourself up and moved to the dining table as he started work in the kitchen. And, as he made a delicious dinner that you both enjoyed, you started to field off your PR team asking who was in your house and ignoring the comments wondering why the guy was speaking Korean in the middle of England.

2019: 

It was approximately ten minutes before you had to be in the car and ready to go, and you were half-way there. You had your fireproofs and race suit on and you were being herded towards your car by a crowd of engineers. Strategies and specifics were being directed at you and you could only nod and act as though you were absorbing what they were saying.

Even after four years on the job some people felt they just couldn’t rely on you. Honestly, they should just let you do your thing, you knew what you were doing. 

No! God, ever since Kyungsoo had joined the military you’d been irritable and quick to anger on the track. Your poor engineers were trying their best to get through to you, likely because they wanted to keep their jobs, but you’d been incredibly closed off since after you got back from the honeymoon. 

Oh yeah, you got married. During a break and right before Kyungsoo was scheduled to start his enlistment, you got married down in a small courthouse with only a few people from either side. You had your family, a few close friends, and a few drivers while Kyungsoo had his family, a few close friends, and the whole of EXO.

It was very emotional and intimate, but that was how you’d describe your relationship so you were very happy with it. You were also extremely happy with the week get-away in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand that followed after, a week of people not recognising both you, farmers markets, and sheep. Lot’s of sheep.

But ever since he’d flown off to do his duty to his country (and shaved his head, no one should look that good with a shaved head) and you’d flown to your next race, you’d been incredibly… angry.

You didn’t know if it had to do with not seeing Kyungsoo for the better part of two years or having that split immediately after the wedding, but what you did know was that it was affecting your racing so you had to snap out of it.

Being dragged back to the present you quickly hopped in the car and performed all of your checks on the steering wheel and adjusted things while people flitted around outside the car, adjusting things and making sure the car was in proper state.

After a quick radio check, the call to start up for the formation lap (you were in P11 after a pretty dodgy qualifying) was relayed and all around you could hear car’s engines coming to life. You glanced at your engineers and snapped down your visor at their nod, starting the car.

Before you pressed the throttle something quickly came to mind. You rapidly gestured for one of your engineers to come close to you, incredibly conscious of all the cars revving around you. The poor engineer almost sprinted to you as you started to fiddle with the zip of your racesuit, the gloves you were wearing prohibiting you from unzipping it.

The engineer's face was comically concerned and he slowly reached forwards before you looked up and grabbed his outreached hand. His face immediately went to one of shock as you made his hand grab the zip and unzip the front part of the suit.

Choosing to ignore the cameras capturing this interaction you continued unzipping it till it lay around your collarbones, hoping the cameras don’t catch any of your naked shoulders. The engineer's face then relaxed as he saw the necklace around your neck and he quickly reached in, almost leaning over the car, to move your necklace around your neck till the latch was in front of him.

He cautiously unlatched the necklace before zipping up your race suit. You immediately relaxed as the pressure around your neck was relieved. Before he could retreat back to the crowd of engineers, you grabbed the hand that wasn’t holding your necklace and slapped it appreciatively with your other hand.

He retreated as you powered up the car and started to move it forwards, letting all the cars that needed to go before go before you started to move. 

Your team radio started up as you were leaving the pit lane.

“You all had us very confused there.” Your race engineer said as you started your cruise around the track. 

“Yeah, sorry I completely forgot about it. But I thought it was better to take it off.” You said, pressing down on the throttle. 

“He better not lose that though. I want that back at the end of the race.” You subtly threatened, suddenly thinking of the rings that were attached to the necklace. You hoped that maybe the cameras hadn’t seen your wedding and engagement rings but you knew there was no chance they hadn’t not captured it. Oh well.

“I don’t know if you’ll get it back by the end of the race.” Your engineer said, her tone almost sarcastic. 

“What’s that mean?” You asked, letting the car cruise.

“You’ll probably be killed by your PR team first.” She said bluntly. So bluntly it made you laugh. 

“I’ve got a race to focus on.” You reminded her, leaving out the part that you had a race to think of an excuse as to why you have two rings attached to a necklace around your neck.

And you did think of an excuse, wearing the necklace proudly during post-race interviews and saying it was a family heirloom that had been passed on to you by your grandma whenever you were questioned about it.

The moment still went viral though, people questioning the relationship between you and the engineer. It went viral enough to that you had to suffer through teasing by Daniel and his accomplice Max Verstappen (you didn’t know how the kid knew you were married but you suspected it had something to do with an annoying Australian) not to mention the shit being talked in the EXO group chat you were in.

I mean seriously, all of those guys are millionaires, does Chen have nothing else to do with his time than bully the wife of his bandmate?

2020: (sorry Alex)

Somehow you got signed to RedBull on a year contract. Not to say you weren’t grateful for the opportunity but you were definitely a bit confused. But anyway, you let bygones be bygones and now you had a 22 year-old dutch nuisance under your wing.

He was a great kid but god, was he traumatized. You were convinced he’d never seen a healthy family dynamic, so you were more than happy to let him see how you and Kyungsoo functioned. Or at least how you functioned when he was not in the military.

You kind of felt like a life coach for the kid, telling him when he was being taken advantage of or when he should continue with something. You’d been woken up plenty of times in the middle of the night by him drunkenly whining into the phone about wanting to go “home”, something neither of you commented on when he woke up on your couch the next day.

So, safe to say, you’d practically adopted a child without the permission of your husband.

This extended to on the track as well, you’d gotten into a few mild disagreements with Jos Verstappen after his cruel comments which often involved you looking at him angrily and him shit-talking you in interviews about you being a woman. You’d often have to refrain from saying that you’d always be more of a man than him, but alas, you didn’t want to get kicked from your seat.

You knew that Max was extremely appreciative of your dynamic, even commenting on it a few times during interviews, saying that he was very happy to have you as a teammate. After that interview you almost felt like you and his lover, Daniel, were able to give him some sort of an idea of what a normal family relationship should look like.

This sentiment was definitely reinforced when a loud knocking on your Monaco apartment door happened in the early afternoon. It was a weekend with no race, so you were soaking in relaxation. You were having a nice bubble bath after having read for the whole morning, so you were hesitant to hop out of the bath. 

The knocking persisted however, and with a sigh, you got out of the bath and wrapped a bathrobe around you before loudly yelling you’d be a minute. You tugged on some sweats which weren’t yours and put your hair in a towel before eventually making your way to the door. 

You might’ve taken more than a minute, but it didn’t matter when you opened the door and were greeted with the image of Max Verstappen on his knees, face pressed into the expensive hallway carpet. What a sight to see, the prodigy and most highly anticipated driver of his time, lying face-first on the floor.

“What the fuck?” You asked, immediately crouching down to his level after a quick glance to see that none of your neighbors had left their apartments to check on the banging (pretentious, self-concerned people). 

You rolled him over, your confusion doubling as you took in the remorseful look etched across the young man's face, almost tripling as you took in the barely concealed tears in his eyes. Your heart ached though and you pulled him up so that he was sitting on his knees.

“I’m so sorry.” He muttered as your face contorted in confusion. What had happened? “Come inside Max.” You said quietly, helping him up from his spot on the floor and leading him inside, locking the door after you both. Leading him to the couch, you left him after putting the throw blanket over his shoulders, and went to make both of you a tea.

You noticed your phone constantly vibrating on your kitchen counter and quickly chucked it on do not disturb, not checking the notifications because you were more concerned with your teary teammate. 

After grabbing the teas you made your way to the couch, setting them down on coasters on the coffee table, before sitting on the edge of the ‘L’ piece of the couch, so you were facing Max. You grabbed his hand from his lap where he had been nervously picking at his nail beds.

“What’s wrong Max?” You asked calmly, bringing his hand to your lap to stop him from hurting himself. He looked up at you, a few tears having rolled down his cheeks. 

Whatever had happened had fucked him up. You didn’t think it was a fight with his dad, he’d sadly become pretty unresponsive to those. You briefly considered him losing his seat but shook that off, he was doing exceptionally well. 

Maybe you’d lost your seat and he was sent to deliver the news. That would make more sense, especially as your phone was blowing up. You hadn’t been performing very well, but you didn’t think they’d drop you from your seat midway through the season, especially during a season as turbulent as this one.

It was the only reason that made sense though, so you prepared yourself for the news that you would be unemployed. Maybe you’d go back to F2 or maybe IndyCar? Or you could just move to South Korea and live there permanently, letting Kyungsoo fulfill his passion for acting and singing while you did a few kart races to occasionally quench your thirst for adrenaline. 

That actually didn’t sound too bad, though you’d definitely have to discuss it with Kyungsoo when he got back from enlistment, which meant around 5 months of unemployment. But hey, you had the money and so did Kyungsoo.

Max snapped you from your thoughts of the future by clearing his throat.

“You don’t know?” He asked, curiously glancing up at you. You furrowed your eyebrows.

“No…” You said, conveying your confusion. “Should I?” 

“Have you checked your phone recently?” Yep, you were definitely getting fired. You should probably start packing now. Maybe Daniel could get his seat back? You shook your head in response to his quiet question.

“I’ve just been reading all morning.” Max nodded, a small ‘ah’ leaving his mouth as he stared at the floor. He reached for his tea, his hand leaving your lap. You narrowed your eyes at that, following his movements as he sipped, a gasp immediately leaving his throat as he burnt it.

You immediately cussed and sprung up from your couch to grab a glass of cold water, running back to the couch and giving it to Max, watching as he gulped down the glass. When he finished he turned back to you and thanked you, before pausing for a second and bursting into another round of tears. You placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re really freaking me out Max. Can you please tell me what’s wrong?” You asked gently, trying to make him catch your eye.

“Promise you won't hate me?” His small voice asked and you internally crumpled at his vulnerable question. Honestly you never thought you’d end up gentle-parenting a teammate like he was a child of yours, especially since you were only like 5 years older than him, but here you were, caring for him like family.

“Yes, I won’t hate you Max.” You repeated as he finally caught your eye. He took a deep breath before starting to speak.

“I was doing an interview for the press and they started asking questions about other drivers and my relationship to them. They then asked about you and I said that I’m really close to you and etcetera.” Ok, seems pretty normal so far. At least you weren’t getting fired, hopefully.

“And they asked if I see you more as a mother figure or a romantic interest.” He said before quickly turning his eyes away. This confused you before you clued in.

“Oh Max.” You said quietly and he turned back to you. “I’m flattered you feel that way but I am married and I am loyal-”

“No, no, no!” He said, louder than he’d ever spoken in the time since he was on the floor. His cheeks had turned bright red as he looked in your eyes.

“No, I didn’t say that I saw you romantically!” He quickly amended and you breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

“Ok, that’s good! I didn’t want our friendship to be awkward.” You said, looking at him for a response. He just grimaced and averted his gaze. You gestured for him to go on confusedly and he began speaking again.

“And I said more like a mother-figure.” A statement which made you feel positive things you don’t want to address. “Then I may have accidentally said that, even though I haven’t met him, I see your husband as more of a father-figure as well.” He quickly rushed the last part out and you sat, stunned. 

The room went silent while you processed what he told you. Fuuuuckkk. How much trouble were you going to be in? I mean the team knew, but this wasn’t something you could pass off as your grandmother's rings. This was undeniable proof that you had a husband. God press days were going to suck after this unless you could somehow make an excuse.

As time went on he seemed to collapse in on himself, the energy quickly switching to something you didn’t like.

“To be honest I thought you were going to tell me I’d lost my seat.” You said and Max’s head snapped up. “What?” He asked, disbelieving.

“Yeah I know, crazy.” You laughed, dragging out the last word, trying to establish a more relaxed aura in the room.

“No, why haven’t you kicked me out yet?” It was at times like this you really wanted to punch Jos Verstappen in the face. You made an over exaggerated confused face, hoping the fact that that had never gone through your mind was on display in your face.

“Max, why would I do that?” You asked, your voice very quickly becoming soothing.

“Why aren’t you mad at me? You’ve spent years hiding this! You should be yelling at me!” He said, standing up. You tried, in vain, to get him to sit down by gently calling him, but he started pacing.

“I’ve just ruined your chances at revealing this yourself, at ever having another peaceful day in your marriage, and all you can do is make a joke?!” He almost started yelling, clenching his fists. You got fed-up and yelled his name, calling his attention to you.

“You’re in my house as my guest. You will not tell me what to do or how to handle situations. Sit your ass down.” You yelled, your voice incredibly commanding. He followed your instructions and sat smally in front of you.

“Max. It was eventually going to come out. I don’t mind. I’d much rather it come off handedly from you than maliciously leaked by a random instagram page.” You said and he looked up, almost looking close to tears. You frowned before bringing the boy up into a hug. You stayed like that for a few minutes before you had to ask a question.

“You didn’t reveal who he was though, no?” You asked, still in the hug. You felt Max shake his head and you silently fistpumped behind his back. It wasn’t your fault, so it technically didn’t count and you hadn’t lost the bet.

You were right, by the way, press days were soon filled with questions about your mystery husband instead of your racing. But it was fine, you were somehow able to twist it as though you’d made a joke about having a husband and Max took it seriously.

Phew.

2021: (sorry latifi)

“And so today you will be reacting to fan edits of yourselves!” The lady behind the camera finished, prompting you and George to look at eachother. It was early in the season and, even though you’d raced together for a few years, you weren’t exactly close, being that before pre-season meetings, you hadn’t ever talked. At all.

This meant he didn’t know much about your personal life or the whole ‘husband’ thing. Which was fine, you’d tell him in your own time, when you felt your friendship was strong enough. He seemed to be a great kid, though you were determined to not adopt another grown child, especially after the look you got from Kyungsoo when you mentioned the fact you may have ‘accidentally’ had Christmas with Max Verstappen.

But hey, they had finally met during February and it was almost like a Dad saying that his daughter can’t adopt a cat while simultaneously cuddling with the cat. Kyungsoo, against his better judgment, had instantly attached to Max and now you were battling for the position of being his favourite driver. Which you were totally not bitter about (you said your favourite EXO member was Sehun in retaliation and he changed your mind very quickly).

Back to the present, the people behind the camera placed a tablet on the table in front of you. It was open on the photo gallery and you could already see some very flattering videos saved to the device.

“You wanna go first?” You asked, and George nodded before picking up the tablet and scrolling through the photo library. He closed his eyes and landed on one. Loud music immediately began playing from the device, you think ‘London Boy’ by Taylor Swift, and you both watched in varying states of horror as photos and clips of him flashed on the screen.

As the video ended you both accidentally made eye-contact. Now, as an almost 28 year old woman, the simple gesture of looking into your teammate's stricken eyes should not have made burst out laughing as hard as you did. But, god, George’s eyes were expressive. In fairness he also did laugh, though he probably was confused as to why you were laughing so much.

After you caught your breath you could only utter out,

“Your face...” Before peeling back into giggles again. He started laughing again as well before putting the tablet down. In doing so, he accidentally swiped the tablet and the Backstreet Boys started playing, an edit of the 2019 rookies playing as the video.

This chain event caused you to start gasping, the sheer ridiculousness of the videos catching up to you. George only took one look at the tears forming in your eyes before he was also wheezing out harsh breaths from laughing.

It took around 2 minutes for you to look at each other without laughing and, for you both to be able to pick up the tablet without giggling, it took another minute or so. You eventually began scrolling through the tablet, laughing at some and ‘aww’-ing at some of the sad ones. 

Eventually a video came up with the background music to ‘Give it to me’ by Sistar, an edit of you that was hot but had you gasping at the lyrics.

“What?” George looked over to you, curious as to why there was another noise that came out of your mouth than laughing or a strained ‘why?’.

“The audacity!” You said, as the music continued playing.

“What..?” George asked, more confused than previously.

“Do you want to know the lyrics they’ve just edited me to?” You asked, looking over at him, your voice pretending to be offended.

“What?” He said, his tone changing again to have a sort of goading lilt.

“Will I even get married before I turn thirty.” You said with an air of finality, turning to glare at the camera, your jaw dramatically hung open. George gasped mockingly.

“How dare they!” He said sarcastically and you nodded eagerly.

“I know right!” You responded beginning a stereotypical mean girl impression. “How dare they!” After that little fiasco, you both kept scrolling and laughing (a notable example of this being when an edit of George crying came up, him pushing your shoulders as you continued to laugh). 

Eventually the video was being wrapped up and George was preparing to do a sort of sign off when he paused and turned to you.

“I know we aren’t incredibly close…” He started and you prepared for a multitude of questions. You didn’t know him well enough to predict what he might say, so you went over your predisposed answers to questions in your head.

You knew he wouldn’t ask anything uncomfortable, like about your relationship status, or anything really weird, like how many socks do you wash at once. But that left a gaping probability for mildly-weird or mildly-uncomfortable questions. You hoped he wouldn’t ask that, but you were still prepared to be asked if you threw out your receipts or kept them.

“But I didn’t know you knew Korean. How did you learn?” 

Oh. Fuck.

You did not have an answer for that. How the fuck did you not have an answer for that? You definitely should have had an answer for that. Oh wait, you didn’t have an answer because you promised yourself not to tell anyone that you could speak Korean so that you didn’t get that question!

The real, close-friends answer was that Kyungsoo had taught you over a range of years and that you’d taken courses so that you’d be able to talk to his friends and family. However you didn’t have a PR approved answer because you’d never thought that you’d need one. Time to put your problem solving skills to the test. 

“Uhhhhh…” You said, staring confusedly at George, aware of the seconds that had passed while you were internally monologuing. You hoped your expression didn’t convey the level of gob-smacked that you felt but you think it did because George’s face contorted to be one of worry.

“If that’s a sensitive topic or something you don’t have to answer!” He quickly said as though he was trying to fix the situation. You’d later learn the George thought before your video that you were kind of ‘fucking terrifying’ (his words) and that he was scared he’d screwed up by asking you this and one of his ‘hero’s’ (his words) wouldn’t ever want to talk to him again. 

“Nah, nah. It’s ok.” You waved him off, desperately trying to think of something. Oh! You knew exactly what to say.

“Basically I just have this really good friend who is Korean and I asked him to teach me for fun.” You said simply, before realising that wasn’t good enough considering your reaction.

“I was trying to hide how good I’ve gotten to try and surprise him but I guess it’s ok.” You said, a small smile on your face. George relaxed from his tense state and nodded, a small smile playing onto his lips as well.

“Ah that’s cool. Sorry to spoil the surprise.” You waved him off again and he continued the video’s outro.

Another good save, you really oughta be hired to problem-solve. And by problem-solving you mean lying to the media. And George. Poor George. 

2022: (yeah the timelines don’t match, don’t call me out pls)

A loud banging sounded against your hotel door. You groaned, dropping the book onto your chest from where you held it up. Glancing angrily at the door, you rolled out of bed and stomped over to the entrance. You ripped open the door and prepared to start reaming the person on the other side before letting out a high-pitched scream.

You were in Japan for the Suzuka GP. You always didn’t like the Japanese GP because, even though you were incredibly close to Kyungsoo, your schedules never lined up so you could never see him. 

That fact really grinded your gears, but it’s what you get when you try to schedule something with SM Entertainment. A decisive ‘No.’ What a great company. To be honest, was Willaims really any better?

No. No they weren’t. That mere fact infuriated you enough to make you scream. However, it wasn’t the reason you were currently screaming. That was because, standing in your doorway in the middle of the team hotel, was Kai. 

You hadn’t seen him in a few months, you both had busy schedules, so the man appearing on your doorstep was miraculous. You didn’t think of why he was there, or how he got there. You just threw your arms around him and gave him a hug.

“Oh my god!” You screamed, before immediately regretting it and quickly pulling him into your hotel room before someone came out of their rooms and wondered why he was in front of yours.

“Hi!” He said, laughing as he let himself be pushed into your room despite the fact he could pick you up and throw you.

“What are you doing here?” You asked changing your pulling into a hug, squeezing the younger man as though he was your child. You had a serious problem with that, treating men almost your age as children. But Kai was more of a brother than a child, to be quite frank. That distinction just meant that he really really bugged you.

“I have a concert tomorrow and I thought I might just stop in.” He said, a smile on his face. “Though it is only me, sorry.”

“That’s ok!” You said, still in disbelief one of your closest friends was on your doorstep.

“Does Kyungsoo know?” Kai smirked in response to your question. That was answer enough in itself and you slapped Kai on the shoulder.

“You should’ve told him! He might’ve come.” Kai gasped in mock offense.

“What am I not good enough? Would you really prefer your husband that much?” He continued in mock offense and you dead-panned him. He just laughed in response.

“I did have to tell the company I was coming though, and they asked me to film a TikTok with you.” He quickly rushed out and you groaned, staring at the sky. What was up with all of these people wanting you to do TikTok’s?! You had all of your team's PR people constantly chasing you with a camera and now you had Kai asking for a video.

“Fine.” You ground out and Kai grinned, purposely ignoring your annoyance.

“Fantastic!” He said and quickly whipped out his phone, launching into his plans of what to film. Your only artistic input was that he had to cool it on the filters or else you wouldn’t film. 

The video started with the familiar sound of Peaches by Kai and a hand knocking on your hotel door, you opening the door curiously. As the chorus sounded, you recorded Kai dancing in your doorway, incredibly aware of the chance of any of your colleagues walking into the hallway and wondering what the fuck was going on.

The video continued after the chorus, Kai recording you slamming the door in his face with a confused expression. The video then ended with a still image of the both of you doing a heart together with your hands and you let Kai go rampant on the filters, hearts and sparkles flying around on the screen. 

When you watched it back, Kai waiting at your side eagerly to see your reaction, you did your best to hide the laughing fit you had in reaction to the monstrosity. You couldn’t quite hide the gasps that were leaving you though and Kai frowned.

“It’s perfect. I love it.” You said, through your giggles and he smiled.

“I know. It’s fantastic.” You only nodded because you couldn’t trust yourself to talk, a small whine escaping through your lips at the struggle of not laughing.

“Do you want to see the caption?” He asked and you violently nodded your head. 

“Please.” 

“P15 but still P1 EXO-L.” He read out and you just hung your jaw open. “You bastard!” You laughed out. 

“I put it in Korean as well.” Your only response was to hit him, hard, while still laughing and shaking your head.

“Should we run it by your PR team before posting?” Kai asked, taking a serious note. You looked to him and sucked in air through your teeth.

“Nahhhh.” You replied and he shrugged, and clicked post.

“I should probably tell Kyungsoo you were here before he finds out through the internet.” You said, reaching for your phone. Kai nodded vehemently.

One phone call later, an angry Kyungsoo and an apologetic Kai later, the TikTok was making its rounds and your phone was blowing up, your poor PR agent about to have a heart attack.

On that delightful note Kai left your hotel room, farewelled with a minute long hug and a well-wish for his concert, and you were left to phone your PR agent who just screamed into the phone for 10 seconds before actually speaking.

Of course, during the press releases for the rest of the season, you talked about how much of an EXO-L you were and how close of a friend you were to Kai. This didn’t come without dating rumours but, due to one poorly angled camera shot of your disgusted face when a reporter suggested dating to your face, that was shut down pretty quickly. 

Still no one had shipped you with the other EXO members though, so you weren’t even close to losing the bet. (Though you had been asked which EXO member was your favourite, which you responded to with a smirk.)

2023:

It was a good race, you finishing P4 which was a huge improvement since last season. Your team was on top of the moon as were you, smiling from ear to ear. You were currently in the press area, getting asked questions left and right about the car and your performance.

You were adequately responding to each question, sometimes looking questioningly your PR agent when you weren’t sure how to respond. A loud crash sounded through the area that drew the attention of most in the area as a reporters chair fell to the ground. They had jumped up at something on their phone and, like everyone else in the pen, you were wondering what had them so fired up.

Then their eyes darted up and made eye-contact with you. Your internal monologue quickly changed from questioning to a repeated loop of ‘Oh no. Oh no.’ as they advanced your way, moving like a predator stalks their prey. They thrusted their phone under your nose, the shitty little mic attached to it capturing every breath you took and the many cameras in the area capturing your wide eyes.

The reporter addressed you by name before starting to speak.

“Do you know of a man by the name Doh Kyungsoo?” They asked and your world cracked. What on earth had happened? How did they know? All you knew was that it was time for the one acting class your mum had made you take to try and sway you from racing to come to full effect.

“I think he’s from that band Kai’s in, yeah?” You responded after a second of fake pondering. The reporter's eyes narrowed like a hawk.

“You wouldn’t say you were close? Not close enough to get married perhaps?” The reporter asked, clearly trying to stir the pot. Oh my god, was this a prank? How the fuck did they know? How were you supposed to play this off? Would this jeopardize your career?

“Uhhm no…?” You said, incredulously, fixing them a scandalized stare. They sarcastically nodded.

“Oh really? Then what’s this?” They said and shoved their phone closer to your face till you saw a picture of you and Kyungsoo on your wedding day. How did they get this? Had one of your small circle leaked something?

You tried not to let the bewilderment you felt show on your face.

“I’m sorry? Are you trying to pass this off as real? It’s obviously photoshopped! I’m so tired of people trying to fabricate a story of me dating every person I’ve interacted with!” You finally snapped, letting a few years of pent up tension out in this moment. The reporter only continued to smirk.

“Oh really!” They said and you wanted to punch them and their snooty little face. To try and display this, your face fell into one of contempt.

“Is that why this image was posted to Doh Kyungsoo’s official instagram account with the caption ‘Sorry for making you lie to the press for eight years!’?” 

They got you there, dam.

Your jaw dropped open, the corners of your mouth rising at the pure hilarity of this situation.

“Excuse me?” You asked, grabbing the phone off the reporter and tapping back onto the post. They were right, Kyungsoo had posted to his official instagram that exact post. It was a carousel post with pictures taken of when you’d lied to the press about him, from the initial lying about being in Seoul to a picture of your ringed necklace to a picture of you smirking after being asked which EXO member was your favourite.

You couldn’t help but release a laugh, your hand traveling to cover your open mouth. Why did he post this? 

Wait.

This meant you won the bet. Your head shot up to stare at a camera.

“I won the bet.” You said quietly. The reporter snatched their phone back and stared at you confused. 

“What?” They asked and you whipped your head to them, a large smile spreading across your face.

“I won the bet!” You said eagerly, reaching out to grab their shoulders and rock them back and forth.

“I won the bet!!” You ignored how they shook you off, turning to your PR Agent instead and grabbing them and lifting them up. They hurriedly tapped your back as you lifted them, as though signaling you to drop them, but you ignored that and started spinning them around. 

“I actually can’t believe it, oh my god!” You snapped out of it and dropped your PR Agent, immediately running out of the media pen and back to your driver room, pulling your necklace out of your racesuit and pulling your rings off, placing them back on their correct fingers.

You quickly packed everything up, ignoring the ringing of your phone as your team tried to get you to go to more press conferences and briefings, and you got out of there, on the first plane to Seoul you could book.

When you arrived, after a long plane trip filled with excitement and pictures being taken of you, decked out in your team's merchandise as you sat buzzing in your seat, your phone was completely blowing up, messages from everyone in your contact list and more. You turned it off (you’d deal with it later) after calling an uber to your apartment.

You were jittery the whole ride, hoping that, despite the time of night, Kyungsoo was still awake. When you arrived outside your apartment building, you felt all the tension in your body ease, and you looked up to see the light on in your window. You smiled and took your suitcase handle in hand and ventured into the building, greeting the old lady at the desk.

Riding the lift up to your apartment nearly had you pacing and you almost ran down the hallway towards your door, quickly knocking. You felt the reverberations in the floorboards as Kyungsoo walked over to the door and a sense of euphoria filled you at the familiarity.

The door was barely open before you launched yourself at Kyungsoo, his heavenly laughter filled your ears as he caught you. You quickly found yourself in a kiss before pulling back and peppering kisses all over his face, finding his giggles more lovely than his singing.

You both pulled back just to look in eachothers eyes and you smiled simultaneously. 

“I love you.” You muttered, the happiness from the day finally catching up to you.

“I love you too.” He whispered, tilting his head before going in for another kiss. 

“You know.” He began later that night, when you were just lying in bed cuddling together. You turned your head from its position on his chest to look at him, his eyes remaining on the roof.

“I think I won in the end.” You immediately reared your head back, prepared to object at the sheer wrongness of his answer. He anticipated this though and dropped his hand from where it was combing through your hair to your mouth. He also dropped his head as to make eye contact.

“You stuck by me through everything. Even though you had to lie almost every day and had to listen to millions of rumours about me with other people, you still stayed with me. You learned a whole other language just to know people who knew me. Nothing I will ever say will ever put into perspective how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me. The way you’ve loved me will be comparable to nothing other than how much I’ve loved you.” His heartfelt speech made your head vibrate and a few tears left your eyes at his words, him kissing each one away. 

You whined deep in the back of your throat and he released a laugh at your response. 

“You could’ve just said ‘I love you’.” You said quietly.

“That’s true too.” He said, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

with a scrunch of your nose, you replied, “well, I work here, so I’d have to say yes.” at that, he retreated to his previous position behind one of his other friends, muttering a “right, that was stupid.” he wasn’t wrong. it was definitely kind of stupid, but despite that, you found yourself smiling at the interaction. 

you took their orders and were about to start making them when the shorter guy from before almost knocked over a tray of cookies. he managed to save the cookies in time and gave you an awkward thumbs up. “behave, please” you told him with a smile, and he hastily nodded and went to take a seat. 

-

The next day the guy was back, with his tall, dark-haired friend. The former approached you with a smile, trying yet again (and failing yet again) to lean coolly on the counter, “My Lady, looking positively scrumptious today,” and you visibly cringed, though an amused smile crept up your face. You looked to his taller friend, “Is he okay?” and the man gave a discouraged shake of his head, “Unfortunately not, I’m afraid”.

“Hey, I’m right here man!” but the taller merely shrugged at him. “Byun Baekhyun, and you are?” But the taller answered before you could, “Probably tired of you, Baek. Sorry about him,” he gave a sheepish smile, before placing both their orders and paying. You felt the eyes of the shorter one on you, as you made their orders, but paid it no mind, not until you handed him his coffee and his eyes met yours. Despite being caught staring he looked unfazed, a boyish grin spreading across his features, a wink sent your way, and you found yourself wondering if anything went through his head at all. 

-

No more than 10 minutes had passed until he was at the counter again. “Hey girl,” he started, and you wondered if he was even capable of starting a sentence that didn’t spark immediate distaste. “Never got your name, you know,” he tried.

“Don’t you have to be stupid somewhere else?” and he all but beamed, seemingly unfazed by your words, merely happy to have gotten a response. “Not until four,” and you let an involuntary sigh slip, eyebrows furrowing in disbelief and frustration at the stranger whose name was apparently Baekhyun. 

Just then, several customers entered the cafe, but Baekhyun remained at his spot at the counter. “Please move there are people in line,” you tried, but unsurprisingly in vain, “Not until you agree to a date,”

“I have a boyfriend,” a futile attempt with him, you should’ve known really. “Nice try, I don’t believe that,” you raised a quizzical brow at him, and his smirk immediately fell, “N-Not because I don’t think you could get one or- or anything! I just-” but his sentence stopped abruptly as he tipped over the cookie tray he’d only narrowly saved the day before. 

“Ah- Shit. Sorry, sorry, I’ll-” and he bent down to pick up the now inedible treats. You moved to his side of the counter and quickly helped get the rest. “What did I tell you yesterday?” you asked as he handed you the tray. “Uh... You told me to behave,” he recalled, sheepishly rubbing at his neck. “And what did you do?”

“The exact opposite,” he gave an apologetic smile, and you would never admit it, but for a fleeting moment, the thought crossed your mind, He’s too cute. “Fine,” you buckled “I’ll go on the date, just please, go back to your friend now,” and he vigorously shook your hand “Deal! I’ll be here tomorrow at five! Wait when are you done with work?” 

“Five is fine, just go for Christ’s sake,” you assured him, hand patting him in the direction of his table. You made your way behind the counter, with the tray of bad cookies, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw him, not-so-subtly fist-bumping the air, and you shook your head, what did I just sign up for?

-

He shows up at exactly five the next day. You’ve already finished up, dressed in your own clothes, jacket on. He quickly spots you and approaches, smiling brightly, if not a little cheeky. “Ready to go My Lady?” You give a tight-lipped nod and he offers a glove covered hand. You hesitantly accept, arguing that it’s cold outside, you would need the warmth as you had no gloves yourself. 

You step outside, and immediately feel the cold on the hand he isn’t holding “Where are we going?” He gently pulls you down the street by your hand, “Are the movies okay with you? I would’ve gone for a picnic kind of thing, but it’s too cold, don’t you think? We can do that in the spring hm?” and at the indication that you will still be going on dates in three months, you let out a small laugh. “Ambitious goal, Baekhyun”.

He lets out a boyish giggle but suddenly comes to a halt, serious eyes boring into your own. At his expression you get worried, “Are you alri-”

“I don’t know your name,” he deadpans. Huh? Oh… you let out a small giggle, “Y/n,” and he beams again. “Ah, I see... A pretty name for a pretty girl,” and you give his arm a small slap, eyebrows furrowing in agony at this point “Stop being a walking cliché, please, I beg of you,” 

“Why? Am I not the smoothest man you’ve ever met?” he asks, wiggling his brows, and you laugh, momentarily forgetting about the biting cold on your hand. “Keep it going and I might just actually throw up on you,” 

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” and you let out a noise of disbelief, “You’re unbelievable, really”

“Thanks, pretty girl,” he smiles, cheeky, shoulder bumping yours as you reach the theatre entrance, and you shake your head, but the small smile on your face definitely doesn’t go unnoticed by him, and he feels a bit of pride blooming, knowing he made you smile, maybe he’s not screwing it up massively, he thinks. 

-

You walk out the theatre Baekhyun’s hand clutching yours tightly as he jumps in the spot raving about the movie, “If it was me and you in that situation, I’d make the sacrifice, you know?” 

With a laugh you remind him, “You met me yesterday,” but he doesn’t falter in the slightest, tugging you closer by your linked hands, “Yes, and I’d die for you. Next question”. You give him a look of disbelief, hand coming up to slap his arm gently, a habit you’ve grown as you’ve had to listen to him throughout the day. But he catches your hand, cheeky smile falling as he holds it. “You’re freezing,” he notes, lips pursed in a pout. You’re about to tell him you’re fine, but he’s already shrugging off his jacket. You freeze in your spot as he drapes it over your shoulders, gently bringing your arms through the sleeves. 

He smiles, satisfied and gives you head a small pat. “I- I can’t, you’ll be- you’ll be freezing now” you try, but he’s got his hands on your shoulders, keeping the jacket in place. “Don’t worry baby I’ll be fine. I’m hot in more ways than one,” and for the 500th time that day, you scrunch your nose up in distaste. 

“Let’s go somewhere? I know a place,” he offers, and you raise a sceptical brow, “Sounds sketchy Baekhyun,”

“Don’t you trust me, Baby?” he inquires with a cheeky smile, hand already pulling you along. You cringed the first five times he used the nickname, for sure, but it’s growing on you. He’s growing on you, you realise, but you don’t much mind, as he pulls you in the direction on the park, a giddy smile on his face, that you can’t help but match when he catches your eye.

“Eh, but I guess I’ll risk it. If you murder me I’ll be a little upset though,”

“Only a little? Guess you must really like me, pretty girl,” and you reply with an exasperated sigh, “I’m begging you, please tone down the cliché talk,” but he merely smirks, “No way, I think you kind of like it actually, don’t you-”

“Don’t say it, Baekhyun I swea-”

“Pretty girl,” and he’s made a run for it, but he doesn’t make it far until you’ve caught him, landing several weak slaps on his chest, where you can feel his laughs vibrating. You’re laughing too you realise, and pause your attack to take a look at his face. His cheeks are red, you notice. But then, you’re sure yours are too, but at the very least you’re wearing a jacket, his jacket. And so with a glance at his ears, fingertips and nose, all which are candy red, you worry that it’s getting too cold without a jacket. You begin to shrug off the jacket, but his hand stops you, “What are you doing?” he asks with a curious tilt of the head. “You look cold,” you deadpan, and he immediately shakes his head, “No way, keep it on...Please?” 

He’s really not gonna take it back. You sigh, what then? It’s then your brain comes up with another way to keep warm, and you bring him in for a hug. He freezes at first, but quickly reacts and brings his hand around you, hugging back. Though it doesn’t last long, he pulls away, a curious look on his face, “What was that fo-” but you pull him back in, “Don’t pull away, you’re cold,” you feel his smile against your hair, “You’re adorable,”

“Ugh, nevermind. Freeze to death,” you let go of the hug, moving to keep walking, but he grabs your arm gently, chuckling, “Nooo please, I’m sorry, I’ll talk less. I’m more bearable when I don’t talk, right?” he jokes, but your smile falters just a bit. You grab his hand, nudging your chin in the direction of the park, and you start walking again, hand in hand, as stars start showing up on the night sky. 

“You’re not unbearable,” you feel his eyes on you, but you look ahead. “You’re fun. I’ve… had fun. So… So don’t talk like that okay?” and you spare him a glance. He’s got a small smile, eyes glinting, and you’re not sure if it’s even possible for the entire starry night to be reflected in his eyes, but it certainly looks like it. You feel your cheeks grow hot under his gaze, “Don’t- Don’t look at me like that,” you look away again, coming to a halt at a small bench under a large oak. 

You spare a hesitant glance at him again, to see he’s still got a gentle smile on his face. “What are yo-” but your sentence is cut short as he takes a step closer, invading your personal space, but you find that you don’t mind, not at all. Maybe he’s going in for a hug, you think, but then his gaze drifts to your lips, and you might’ve been imagining, but you’re fairly sure he’s moving even closer.

“H-Heh you’re awfully close a-are we gonna- are we gonna kiss?” you stammer, unable to take your eyes off his face. His eyes flicker from your lips to your eyes, and you’re sure his cheeks become impossibly redder. “I-uh, I mean only if you’re- if you’re o-okay with it?” and you let you eyes drift to his lips, red from the cold. “I-uh- yeah… yeah that would be okay- good- uh fine- that would be fine...yeah” you stumble, and he tried (and failed) to fight his smile. “Okay I may not be smooth, but neither are you, baby” 

You manage a “Shut up,” but the smile on your face is way too soft for your words to be genuine, and you’ve almost forgotten that just moments ago, Baekhyun was leaning in to kiss you, that is, until he finally leans in and connects your lips. 

His lips are cold, freezing even, and you’re embarrassed to have caught yourself wanting to warm them with yours. But that doesn’t stop you, nor does it stop your hands from going to his equally cold cheeks, trying to cover them with your warm hands. He sighs into the kiss, breaking away, eyes filled with the same stars from earlier, lips a little redder now. You force yourself to look away from his lips, “We should really get you home now, I think you might actually freeze to death, Baekhyun,”

He gives an eager nod of the head, “Your place?” and you laugh, “Nice try, but you’ll be sleeping on the couch,” his lips form into a pout, but he looks anything but sad, “And you’ll join me on the couch then?”

“In your dreams, Baekhyun,”

“How’d you know?” he smirks, and you fight the urge to slap him again, but you settle for pushing your tongue against your cheek, “Do you want to get slapped?” you threaten, albeit with a teasing smile. And he feigns fear, “Oooh, my pretty girl is scary-”

“Ah you’re really-” and your hand goes to slap his arm, but he traps you in a hug, “Alright, alright!” he gives in, hand going to grab yours as you lead the way to your apartment. He speaks after a while of comfortable silence, “So I really won’t get any cuddles?”

You giggle, looking at him, “How bad do you want cuddles?”

From that day forward I always looked for that kid with the bright smile. I even swallowed my pride and asked a couple classmates about him. I learned his name was Park Chanyeol, he was in class 2-C, he liked singing and playing guitar, he was trying to start a band, and he was either described as really cool and friendly or loud and obnoxious. Namjoon gave me endless shit once he found out I asked our classmates about Chanyeol and noticed I would go out of my way just to be able to look at him from afar.

The more I watched him from afar the more I began to notice everything else about his appearance. He had these really cute elf-like ears that poked out (despite his attempt at hiding them under his long hair), he was a little taller than some of our classmates, still had his babyfat, and had really nice dark eyes that sparkled with life.

I didn’t know why I wanted to see him all the time or why his smile made my heart race or what I was feeling, but all I knew was I wanted him to keep smiling.

Eventually Namjoon started trying to talk me into going up to him and introducing myself, which obviously I didn’t do. What was I supposed to say? We had only kinda met once when his friend bumped into me a month or two ago. It was far too late to introduce myself to him now.

“I don’t want to study, Joon!” I groaned as he pulled me along by my hand towards the library.

“Your mom isn't going to let us hang out after school if you continue to suck at math!” Namjoon scolded me.

“We can't all be in the top 1% like you, dork.” I said back with a smile just to see him get more annoyed. But someone interrupted him before he could respond.

“Faggots!” we heard some guy yell.

Namjoon must have felt me stiffen with anger, he held my hand softer, and we continued walking.

“Why don’t you leave, perverts!” another guy, probably the first boy’s friend, shouted.

We continued ignoring them. We were use to it at this point, it still made us angry, but we were okay at ignoring it. People said stuff like that all the time. People acted like this towards us because I’m gay. I came out last year, and because Joon was still friends with me afterwards he was made fun of too.

“Yah! Didn’t you hear us, fags?” the first guy yelled at us again, his voice getting closer.

My free hand balled into a tight fist, I was getting angrier by the second, but Namjoon kept walking away from the guys following us. He was the more even tempered of us two, he stayed calm and cool when people did this, while I tended to get angry or cry.

“Do you want to die, homo?” his friend grabbed my shoulder hard and jerked me back.

I yanked my hand out of Namjoon’s grasp as I threw my fist at that boy’s face. My punch hit him with so much unexpected force that he fell to the ground. There was a flash of shock on both of their faces, Namjoon instantly was by my side, his arm in front of me protectively. The boy still standing stalked towards me, his arm pulled back as he prepared to throw a punch. Namjoon jumped in front of me, taking the hit intended for me before pushing him down. The one I had punched got to his feet and everything became a blur of punches and trying to protect each other. Somehow the guy I decked got me on the ground, he kept hitting my face over and over, until he was thrown off of me. I looked to my left expecting to see my best friend but instead there stood Park Chanyeol yelling at the guy to get lost. He knelt down next to me with that stunning smile aimed at me and his hand outstretched towards me. My heart skipped a beat then dropped. Where was Namjoon? Was he hurt?

“Joon!” I yelled past him panicked as he helped me up.

I may have been dying for the chance to talk to Chanyeol, but my best friend and his well being was always my top priority.

“He’s alright, Kyungsoo is helping him right now.” Chanyeol said in a soft, comforting tone.

“Is he hurt!? Oh my god this is all my fault.” I said still shaken with worry.

“(Y/N)! Are you okay? Oh my god I’m so sorry I couldn’t get to you but that guy-” Namjoon rambled as he ran to me.

“Joon, forget about that! Look at you! I’m so so sorry! It’s all my fault! I’m so sorry, Joon!” I gently prodded the bruise already starting to form near the side of his eye, guilt resting in my stomach.

“It’s not your fault, it’s those guys fault. And don’t worry about me. What about you! Your cheek is bleeding.” He said gently wiping my cheek with his jacket sleeve.

“It’s sweet you two aren’t ashamed of your relationship.” Kyungsoo said, both of us freezing in shock at his words.

“You’re a cute couple.” Chanyeol added happily.

“We're not together! We're just friends, like brothers!” Namjoon explained flustered, our hands quickly retracting from each other's faces.

“Oh I’m sorry, we just assumed.” Kyungsoo apologized politely.

“But aren’t you two gay? Everyone says you’re gay.” Chanyeol blurted out, his head cocked to the side in confusion. Kyungsoo tried to subtly elbow him in the side, but he yelped in pain.

“Uh I’m not, technically. Everyone thinks we’re together but we’re not.” Namjoon responded, scratching behind his ear.

“I’m gay, but yeah, we’re not dating.” I said with an awkward chuckle. Chanyeol perked up a little.

“Really? Alright, cool.” He smiled at us.

There was an awkward pause, but Namjoon came in to save the day as always.

“Hey, we gotta go clean up these cuts and stuff, but thanks for your help. It meant alot.” Namjoon told them, his cool charismatic grin making an appearance as well.

“We just don’t like how people treat gays badly, so it was nothing.” Kyungsoo responded, I could tell he wasn’t use to socializing like this but was trying really hard to show his sincerity.

We nodded with smiles, getting our bags off the ground, and beginning to walk to my house. Namjoon once again taking my hand in his.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Namjoon asked me.

“Yeah I am, I’m more worried about you though-” I was saying when we were interrupted yet again.

“Hey, hang out with us from now on!” we heard Chanyeol happily scream behind us.

“We’re like 5 meters away. Why is he yelling so loud?” Namjoon asked rhetorically in slight annoyance.

“No idea, but I do admire his enthusiasm.” I responded with a small smile.

“He’s like an anime character. Loud, kinda dumb, and he has a shy dork who has a crush on him but is too scared to do shit but stalk him. He’s basically Naruto, but with yoda ears.” Joon said matter-of-factly, pulling the tips of his ears so they stuck out more. I knew he was trying to bait me but I couldn’t stop myself.

“Yah! He’s not stupid! He was just confused! And I don’t stalk him! I just like his smile. And his ears are like elf ears not like Yoda’s you dick!” I shot back, my cheeks starting to get warmer.

We continued our back and forth banter until we got back to my house. I got an ice pack ready, while Namjoon got the first aid kit in the bathroom. I went to Namjoon, we talked and laughed about whatever came up, and I gently pressed the ice pack to the now dark purple bruise on his left eye. The rubbing alcohol stung the cut on my cheek, and soon Namjoon was putting the bandage over the wound.

“We’re sitting with them tomorrow.” he said out of nowhere. I could tell by his set expression it would be useless arguing with him.

The next day was no different than any other day for us. That is until lunch when Joon dragged me towards Kyungsoo and Chanyeol.

“You bitch.” I whisper yelled at him.

“If you’re not gonna take the lead then I’m doing it for you. And they did help us out yesterday.” he whispered back.

“Hey, we saved you seats.” Kyungsoo greeted us happily.

“You guys came! I was worried you wouldn’t sit with us!” Chanyeol laughed, his wide smile making my heart flutter.

“Thanks Kyungsoo, and you shouldn’t worry. Especially after yesterday.” Namjoon responded to both boys, setting his tray down.

“Yeah, man. Why wouldn’t we hang out with you guys.” I added, beginning to eat.

Soon we became close friends with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. At first we just ate together at lunch then we gradually started to hang out after school and eventually we hung out every day.

At first it kinda baffled me that Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were best friends at first. Kyungsoo was quiet, more thoughtful, and definitely more introverted than Chanyeol who was known to be loud and energetic. But the more we got to know them the more we saw how similar and compatible they were.

Kyungsoo loved anime, enjoyed cooking, and he was an amazing singer. Chanyeol loved anime too, he danced, and loved playing guitar and piano. Both of them didn’t like school, but Kyungsoo made them study and get at least decent grades. In their free time they learned songs together. Kyungsoo would sing while Chanyeol played piano or guitar. Kyungsoo wanted to become a singer, and Chanyeol wanted to become an artist as well. I learned he didn't know what he wanted to do specifically, all he knew was that wanted to work in the music industry alongside Kyungsoo.

Becoming friends with them was the best and the worst thing at the time. I got two new amazing friends that I enjoyed being around. I got to know more about Chanyeol, and spend a lot of time with him, but that also meant my complicated feelings for him increased and I had to try harder and harder to hide them.

We were at my house studying one day. We had an exam soon so we decided to study together in preparation for it. Two hours in Chanyeol began complaining, draping himself over Kyungsoo, who ignored him. This was a common occurrence. Chanyeol was very affectionate with Kyungsoo and enjoyed picking on him. He almost always was making some sort of contact with Kyungsoo, whether it was having his arm draped over the other’s shoulder or leaning on him or occasionally holding his hand in private.

Namjoon shot me a sympathetic look. I just tried focusing on my notes and textbook, but that stabbing pain in my heart stayed. I knew Chanyeol was straight but that didn’t stop me from feeling sad and jealous when he was affectionate with Kyungsoo. I tried to ignore the heartache, but it never went away. Every Time I saw him touch Kyungsoo I wondered what it would be like if he wrapped his arm around me or how his hand would feel in mine. I knew I liked boys, but this was the first time I wanted to hold someone’s hand and go on a date with them.

“Yah! (Y/N)! You’re getting bored with studying too, right? We should definitely take a break.” he said energetically, his toothy grin making me weak.

“We should.” I instantly gave into him, as usual.

“You’re just trying to get out of studying, stupid.” Kyungsoo said irritated with Chanyeol, flicking the edge of his ear.

“Soo, don’t be that way.” he cooed in response, rubbing the now red tip of his ear.

My stomach turned seeing how gently he always talked to and treated the smaller boy no matter how rough or mean he was to him.

“It’s not that late, maybe we can go get some snacks.” Namjoon suggested, turning their attention away from each other to him.

I gave him a look to silently thank him. We began packing our supplies away, and getting ready to leave. Namjoon patted me on the back, from the look in his eyes I knew he was gonna try to talk to me about this later. Then we all headed out of my room.

“You haven’t played Pokemon Gold or Silver?!” I shouted incredulously, wiping the crumbs away from the sides of my lips.

“I just haven’t! Is it that bad I haven’t!” Chanyeol shot back, opening another red bean paste bun.

“Yeah! It's the best! You're gonna play it. It's my duty as your friend to make sure you play this masterpiece.” I said firmly, taking another bite of my bun.

“Masterpiece? The character you play is like 10 pixels.” Joon teased me.

He lightly hit my bun into my face as I went to take a bite. The three boys began to laugh, I pushed Namjoon lightly, trying to clean off as much as I could.

“You shouldn't do that, Namjoon.” Kyungsoo gently scolded Namjoon, I was about to say thank you and send Joon a smug look when he continued with a heart shaped smile, “You shouldn't waste food like that.”

“Kyungsoo… I trusted you… How could you betray me like this!” I cried in mock sadness.

“Trusting me was your fault! Anyways I gotta head home now.” He said through laughter.

Chanyeol began to groan and beg him to stay out with us longer. Namjoon and I were laughing at how childish he looked, practically on his knees begging Kyungsoo who was fuming.

“I gotta go too. My dad wants me home early tonight.” Namjoon said suddenly.

“Oh, alright. Let's go then.” I responded, beginning to put my last red bean paste bun in my bag for later.

“No! It's fine! You and Chanyeol can stay out longer!” He said with a smile, but his eyes were screaming at me.

“Yeah! Chanyeol! Why don't we hang out longer?” I asked nervously, finally understanding what Namjoon was trying to do.

My hands were getting kinda moist, I felt scared but also hopeful and excited. Just the thought of spending time alone with Chanyeol made my heart go crazy.

“Definitely! At least I have one friend that cherishes me!” Chanyeol cheered as he threw his arm around my shoulders.

My heart started beating faster than it ever did before, my face felt so hot like it was on fire, and my hands began to get incredibly clammy.

I couldn't even utter a single word when we separated from Namjoon and Kyungsoo. It felt as if my brain short circuited, all I could focus on was how nice it felt to have his arm around me. He was warm and comforting, and, oh god, when he turned smiling at me. I had never felt this type of happiness before. Sure I felt really happy when I was with Namjoon, or when my parents told me that they still supported and loved me when I came out. But it was something about his smile, his arm around me, and just his presence that felt so exhilarating.

It felt like I was in a drama or a shoujo manga. We went to an arcade, played games til we ran out of coins, then we went to a park and talked about anything and everything. The whole time his smile and attention were directed at only me. It made me feel special like the protagonists in romance mangas.

We were sitting shoulder to shoulder on a park bench.

“What’s it like?” Chanyeol said vaguely. Much to my confusion.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“To be gay?” he elaborated.

“It’s no different than being straight except some people are cruel because of it.” I answered him, fidgeting with the sides of my pant legs.

“How do you know?” he questioned naively.

“I don't really know. I just kinda noticed I didn't see girls the way other guys did. That I didn't have those feelings towards girls.” I explained as best as I could.

“Do you have feelings for Namjoon?” he asked turning towards me instantaneously.

For once there was no smile on his face, his expression somber and stern.

“No, I don't. I've never had feelings for Namjoon like that.” I answered honestly, looking him directly in the eyes.

“Do you have feelings for someone else then?” he questioned me further.

“I… Well.. I… I do have feelings for a guy.” my voice wavered as I responded.

“Who?” He snapped at me.

It wasn't like him to act this way. Chanyeol was usually goofy and hyper, not serious and assertive.

Panic suddenly seized my heart. I stumbled over my own incomprehensible words. I tried avoiding his gaze, gripping my pant leg so hard my knuckles turned white. I felt a smoldering knot form in my throat, I didn't want to tell him. It hurt so much just thinking about how disgusted he'll be if I told him how I felt. The thought of him looking at me the way others did at school and saying the awful things they said terrified me to the core.

“Tell me!” Chanyeol demanded, the volume of his voice making me flinch.

That's when tears began to pour down my face.

“It's you! I like you!” I yelled back through my tears.

Suddenly he grabbed the sides of my face and his lips were on mine. As quickly as it happened it ended, and I was pulled into an embrace.

“I think… I… I like… like you a lot.” He stuttered out, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

“I'm gay too.” He confessed softly, then I felt tears wet my neck and shoulder.

I wrapped my arms around him, rubbing his back, and comforted him as he continued to cry. I murmured words of reassurance as I stroked his hair trying to soothe him.

“From the moment I saw your smile I thought you were the most amazing person ever. You took my breath away. I can't really explain it, but your smile makes my heart go wild. Then when I got to know you my feelings for you got stronger. I want to go on dates with you and hold your hand and take care of you. Chanyeol, I like you so much. Everything about you is amazing.” I mumbled, pressing kisses to his head in between words.

On that cold night, underneath the moon, I held him until he calmed down and I wiped away his tears. No words were spoken as we got up and began to walk to home together. He merely slipped his hand into mine. His tight grip said all the words that were left unspoken that night.

Neither of us uttered a word until we got to the front door of my house.

I turned to face him trying to figure out what I should say when he kissed me again. My heart fluttered feeling his lips press so gently against my own.

“I'll see you tomorrow.” He said with a blush, walking away. Leaving me with an equally red blush and a warm feeling in my soul.