Wooyoung Angst - Tumblr Posts

saw the reqs are open omg!!! im thinking of badboy wooyoung (god forbid his new undercut) x reader. wooyo plays and teases her together with his friends til he crosses the line and the reader kind of gets hurt? angst to fluff i beg ❤️

I LIKE RED

Pairing: Ateez! Wooyoung x fem! reader

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Slice of Life

Warnings: crying, mention of physical abuse, psycho behaviour of boyfriend, teasing in university, slight mention of bullying, Wooyoung's undercut lol

W.C: 3.5k

Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated 😭. Applause to the ones who come up to me to interact and they know how friendly I am. Okay enough!

Network: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity

“Look, who we got here?”

“Wooyoung, I’m not going to repeat again. Move.”

As usual, he is not getting fazed by your cold attitude and hence, your bored face is giving him the amusement. His two bestfriends San and Yeosang finding the situation funny and three of them smirking and staring down at you.

……

You didn’t expect your university life to be dealing with these idiots everyday. It’s not like you have engaged yourself with them eagerly but somehow you and Wooyoung being in the same dance club making the things go around like this. When you got first introduced to him, you had just saw him from afar laughing with his friends and walking around the campus and boy, his laugh was so contagious that even from a distance, it brought a little smile on your face.

Everything becomes different the moment when next day, you met him, standing in front of you. An average tall boy in black pants and a loose jacket with a black tee inside, must be a black lover. Sharp jawlines highlighting the face on point along with the undercut hair, so on point that the shaved hairs above the ear and behind it shaved nicely to spot the earring more clearly, giving the face a fresh look but the shaved hairs slightly getting hidden under the rest black hairs, giving him a mysterious look. Curious eyes staring down at you, tongue licked his soft red lips and hands extended in front of you with an attitude laced in his voice.

“This is Wooyoung and what’s your name, sweetheart?”

Oh. A sweet-talker. Shaking his hands, your mind went how he had that rough outlook but his hands were so soft as if a handshake can ease your every problem.

“Myself Y/N. Nice to meet you.”

“Such a pretty name. Also, I like your dress. Its suits you so well and there’s a reason why am liking it more.”

“Thank you. And may I know why?”

“No.” And with this, he patted your cheeks with two fingers and making a clicking sound with his tongue and teeth, he winked at you and left you there, standing at the corridor. You didn’t know what did just happen. Like the introduction was normal but then if he didn’t want to tell you the reason so why giving a hint that he likes your dress for a reason. Quickly, you went to the washroom to check if there was any problem with your outfit but all you could see was your reflection just the same as when you left the house in the morning.

It’s not possible for that boy with the dark aesthetic to like such a bright dress.

…….

Now, it was a part of your daily routine to cross paths with him during the breaks between classes. You both only had few practical classes together and also it was usual to meet at the club meetings. The unusual part was him to be always being close to you, even people assumed you both to be a couple. ‘An innocent girl and a bad boy’ He himself even teased you several times along with his bestfriends but your reaction was simple just to glare at them, which was rather stupid to them, cute to him. It didn’t bother to his reputation of being the popular guy in the campus or him flirting with some girls even when he got to hear questions from some whether he is really dating you or not. He always laughs at this question and sometimes run around the campus just to know your whereabouts so that he can annoy you. Just like the way he is doing now.

“Why are you always telling me to move or…like you just ignore me the way as if you can’t even see me?”

“wooyoung, look don’t act like we are close. You know I won’t be giving in like other girls so better move aside.”

“Bad girl. Why are you being mean to me?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Don’t pretend to be a good girl. Wooyoung is just being nice to you, nothing else. You both are paired up in for the dance competition so he is just trying to be friends with you.” San states while referring to his friend who is still trying to block your way from going to the next class.

“You know that even if we are paired doesn’t mean that we need to be friends and we can have this conversation only during the practices that’s it.”

That’s on cut, you push him and run away from the scene. Wooyoung tries to call you but end up laughing with his friends.

Arriving to a classroom, you take heavy breathes and lean to the wall. You didn’t have to run away from him like the way as if he was a killer with his gang. Atleast, he is not the one but the one who would judge the situation is.

You still remember those moments when these three had teased you a lot of times in the corridors. Either them flirting with you or spreading news that you are dating one of them or telling people rumours about you staying with them at nights but the second you get them in your hand, you would scold them but nothing can change the fact that they are deaf to your shouting. Mostly, Wooyoung who is the main cause of all these hurdles in your life. He is always the one who has to start such commotions every day. You don’t know why but apart from you being in a pair in dance class, he still tries to be close with you other times but only to tease you and make you run some errands for him. He and his friends would make you sometimes do a lot of their works but if you deny sometimes then they would make sure to threat you with your scholarship. To be in the good books of everyone, you are agreeing with everything, even with the dark life of yours.

And as you thought before, there is always one who would judge the situations in a different way.

“So, you were again with him. Had fun? Kissed yet?”

“M-Mark?”

“What? Didn’t expect me here or you are disappointed that you can’t spend time with that lover boy?”

“Mark, that is not the thing. He was just informing me about the dance practice schedules and-“

“Shut up.” Mark comes near to your form, eyes daringly watching how your body tensed up with his every step. He caged you in between him and the wall with his one hand resting beside your head and other one on your cheeks, “baby, why are you so afraid of me? It’s not like I’m going to hurt you. Do I ever hurt you?”

You remain silent. Lips quivering, eyes trembling and tears slide down your cheeks. A silent tear with storm of helplessness. Your whole-body trembling under his touch, remembering his previous tortures on you one by one.

“Now, we don’t want a bad girl here, right?” Bad girl. Wooyoung calls you this everytime whenever you glare at him when he teases you the times when you try to ignore him but he is not letting you to go until he has annoyed the hell out of you.

Mark slaps you. Your weak body couldn’t keep the balance and ended up on knees, getting hurt in the elbow during this. Mark bends down to hold your face upwards to look at him, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Why didn’t you answer yet? Is it so hard to tell whether I have hurt you or not? Yes or no.”

“No. You never hurt me.”

He yanks your hair and you grunt on the pull, burning your scalp. Your eyes are bloodshot because of the pressure and the way you are suppressing your cry, a cry for lost war.

“That’s a lie. I have just now hurt you and you are getting more punishments later for lying to me.”

He got up from the space and dusts his clothes. Glancing at you, he rolls his eyes and calls someone. After having some few conversations with the person on the other line, you know that’s Haechan asking him about their father’s business deals. Your cheek is burning but what about it, you are used to getting this treatment. Your once lovey-dovey boyfriend is now a psycho. Once, when a topic of breaking up with him had arisen since then he is acting like a maniac to keep you with him and now supporting his every behaviour has led down to this. Getting treated like a prisoner, atleast he allows you to come to university as you are always locked up in the suffocating house. The house is big but wherever you are with him, it’s a prison to you now, which was once a paradise you dreamed of.

“get up. Don’t overreact and don’t ever dare to miss the class. No one is going to pay for your semester fees if you fail this. You have only got the scholarship because I was your tutor in highschool so just go and attend the lectures.”

He was your tutor and that was how, you fell in love with him. How much you regret to have him as your tutor back then! You were so grateful for him to be by your side but now its sinful.

He went out without glancing at you twice. If he going to treat you like this then why keeping you with him. Obsession. He is obsessed with you. Somehow, even in this situation, your thoughts wander around how one day, wooyoung asked you in between your errands about your hand injury but you waved it off. I should have told him the truth. Why? You sometimes feel this urge to open up yourself to him because you find him a comforting person despite his teasings.

.

.

.

.

.

“You know you should break up with him? We can be better together?”

“Who?”

“Of course, I’m talking about Mark Lee. If there is someone else then I don’t know about him, honestly but you look like a good girl to do such things.”

“what? What such things?”

“Being in relationship with more than one.”

“You don’t know what I do or might be doing in my private life so don’t be a nosy person right now.”

“Oooooh, that’s sexy. My bad girl is interesting.” His bad girl and somewhere you liked the way he just mentioned you.

One moment he is being a friendly and understanding one with you but the next moment he will be returned to its actual self, having fun with everything all around and make you feel you are not a special person to him, you are just a part for him to make fun of.

What big expections you have with your life! You literally hate him then why thinking of getting close to him.

Mark’s daily abuse is getting out of hand these days because of him Wooyoung and that’s why you ignore him as much as possible just not to get in trouble but still a part of you wants to run to him. Why? Because apart from his teasing, he is the only one who actually let you show your mad expression when he has crossed his limits, to make you listen to his absolute nonsense but you enjoy hearing some out of world gossips than harsh insults from mark and many other things wooyoung make you feel, which make you believe you deserve a better life, a life where you can smile, laugh naturally, not laughing with a fear of someone watching you everytime.

.

.

.

.

“That’s it. We can keep the practice till here. We have two more weeks and we have already covered the whole dance, just a few more practices and we will be the one getting the winner’s trophy.”

You just nod on his words. You can rarely hear his words because your wide eyes looking down at the sweating palms holding your phone, showing 10 missed calls from your boyfriend, Mark. You are dead. This should not have happened if you previously hadn’t silenced the phone to not get distracted during the practice. It’s weird to be in a dance club when your boyfriend doesn’t appreciate such things, right? No. According to him, it would make you stay fit and strong but he doesn’t know that even if you are physically okay, mentally you are the weakest.

“Y/N, are you listening to me?”

You didn’t reply. You haven’t heard so how could you. You feel hands on your shoulder which break your trance of thinking all the negative situations to be faced after you will reach your place. Your wide teary eyes stare back at wooyoung who was looking at you in confusion.

“Y/N?”

“Wooyoung, I need to leave. I have to go. Right now.”

Your panicking state doesn’t go unnoticed by him and when you were collecting your things in hurry, he grips your hand to turn you around and you stare into his eyes, your panic rises when you realise if mark sees you like this with him then something like previous torturing days would repeat again.

…….

“If I walk around the campus like this, will your boyfriend be angry or just have faith on you and let it slide that we are friends?”

“wooyoung, move your hand. People might think us of something else. I’m already under so many gossips and I don’t want to add up to it.”

“Why are you always so eager to be in good books of everyone? Be yourself, Y/N. Fuck what people are thinking about you without any proof. I’m just asking about your boyfriend’s reaction. Also, I hope your boyfriend tells you the same thing about you too.”

I hope too. I hope my boyfriend would have been like the way he was, just the way you always playing around and like before being a polite and gentle boyfriend but he is a different person now. A literal doppelganger of his past.

You harshly push wooyoung and glare at him. He was taken aback by your sudden attitude but he had noticed your sudden change in attitudes for a while now. He had noticed the fear in your eyes whenever he asks you about your boyfriend. Ignoring his worst thoughts, still he believed on the positive side and annoys you.

“Don’t touch me like this in public or in private ever like this. Only my boyfriend is allowed to touch me and no one less.”

That’s how you left him there, standing and watching your figure disappearing when you took a turn.

You somewhere hoped to shout on your boyfriend like this not to touch you ever but somehow your whole life is being controlled by him and when you are with him, you are like a puppet of his hands. Mark’s touch are dominating and rough ,simply abusive and insulting whereas Wooyoung’s touch are soft and playful, in other words securing and loved.

………

“Don’t tell me to leave your hand again.”

“wooyoung..”

“Are you okay?”

“Wooyo-“

“Tell me. Are you okay? Is there something bothering you?”

You are wiggling your wrist under his hold but somehow his grip is strong but gentle. Before you could say any more word. The door of the practice room slams open, startling you and Wooyoung closes his eyes in frustration as to who is interrupting him. You both are looking at the person at the door. You are faced with the most scary scene in front of you, your eyes wide in horror and whereas wooyoung unfazed by the presence. Your boyfriend’s raging eyes taking in your position with him and how wooyoung maintaining a secure hold on your wrist. His heavy steps of the boot echoing inside the room as if the mirror walls would collapse under the pressuring sound, eyes focused on the grip.

Your breathes becoming heavy, hands becoming numb, ears becoming deaf to the surrounding and as if the walls closing in to suffocate you to death. Mark reaches to you and holds your other hand and when he tries to pull you, you are pulled back by the other one.

“Y/N, tell that guy that we are leaving for home and it’s your last time for this dance practice.”

Wooyoung didn’t like the tone he used on you and seeing your trembling form under their hold was triggering something inside him.

“Woo-“ you somehow manage to voice out his name but Wooyoung interrupts you.

“Even if you drag her away from me still I’m not leaving her hand. Not with you.”

Mark chuckles on hearing his desperation in the voice.

“You are speaking about my girlfriend in the way as if she belongs to you.” Taking few steps closer to him, he glared , “ Remember She is Mine.”

You clutch Wooyoung’s wrist under his hold and he sees your uncomfortable face to which he forcefully pulls you behind him and glares at your boyfriend.

“Don’t touch her.” Wooyoung literally growls at Mark.

Mark is not liking his attitude and finding this so annoying that you are giving in to him and not fighting against his hold as if you are glad to be with him.

“You don’t tell me what to do with her. She is not your property. Let me take back to where she belongs to.”

“Now, you are telling me she is a property? Shut up before I pull your throat out. She can’t be yours when you are just treating her like this. Have you seen her closely? She is dancing but her body is lacking the confidence and strength because she is weak both mentally and physically and emotionally and all this because of you.” Wooyoung glares as he stated his points.

Mark glares back at him, “aren’t you showing too much care for her? Have you fallen in love with her or what?”

“Yes, I have. Atleast I know how to treat someone whom I love. Just leave, Mark.”

Mark grabs his collar and glared at him.

You somehow managed to calm yourself while being out of sight of Mark but still a lingering sense of fear still budging you. You push yourself to the front of Wooyoung, “Mark, please let go of him. We were just practicing for the event and….I…I had put the call on silent. Sorry for that.”

Both of the males are looking down at you but with different emotions, one with soft and worried expression and the other one with furious eyes and mad expression.

Leaving the collar, he grabs your hair and pulls your face near him, “I have told you several times to stay away from him but you are a brat who won’t listen.”

“Ah…Mark. It’s hurting….please leave it.”

“Do you think Wooyoung will always be there to help you?”

“Whats going on here?” Yeosang enters the room and the scene before him is confusing. He looks at Wooyoung and then you and your boyfriend.

Wooyoung again pulls you out of his grasp and hugs you, “Y/N, calm down. Shh.shh, it’s me.”

“Please leave me. Please I will listen to you. I won’t be a bad girl again. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Wooyoung’s heart clenches seeing you like this vulnerable, he hugs you tighter and caress your head, planting a slow and soft kiss on your head. Mark was about to go towards him.

“Yeosang, call your dad and San and tell them to come here. Grab him and take him to the spare room. I’m coming.”

The one in command doesn’t need a word more to jump in action. He pulls out a syringe from his backpack and push it down the neck of Mark when he was busy watching you. One might wonder what in the hell Yeosang have such things in his backpack but that’s for other times. As for now, he is taking this unconscious man out of the room to the spare room.

Wooyoung waited until the door got closed. He makes you sit on the floor along with him and pulls you closer to his embrace, a secure one as if he is shielding your weak body from every strong presence and negative energies around you.

“Hey, look at me. No one is here to hurt you. It’s me and you. Open your eyes, sweetheart.”

Somehow his sweet voice worked and you parted your eyes a bit, still not sure about the scene that might get unfold. But to your relaxation, a sweet guy yet his appearance was not sweet, his looks and aesthetics are always so dark and gives off gangster vibes, you sometimes wonder him to be one. Your eyes wander around the room to see where is your boyfriend but it was only both of you and somewhat you thanked for this mentally.

Your gaze returns back to the guy holding you tight as if his hold won’t loosen even if it’s the end of the world.

“Wooyoung…”

“Yes…it’s me. He can’t hurt you anymore. You are safe now. “

Shaking your head, “he will come back to me again. You don’t know how powerful he is. Nothing can prevent him from getting me back. Not even you.”

“Who said I’m not powerful?”

“I’m not joking. He has a backup support of a gang and even if I complain about him to the police then his boss will bail him.”

Pulling your head to his chest, his hands patting your back, “I know everything about him. Even more than you know. You don’t know a lot of things about everyone but you know I guessed it right. That something is up between you and Mark. I have watched you feeling scared everytime I have mentioned about him. Even if you smile anytime, there was an unspoken sadness in your eyes.”

“You noticed? That’s crazy coming from you as you have always seen me as to tease and annoy me.”

“That’s fun though….. I have noticed everything about you Y/N. Since the first day, I met you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“To pull you in the mess of my life. I should have managed to get out from here before he could reach to us here but I was late.”

He caress your head before softly pulls it upwards. So opposite from Mark’s hold. The same actions but different approach, your hurtful eyes meeting his worried eyes.

“I’m glad that all my guess are cleared in front of my eyes and I was the one there who could protect you from him. I will keep you safe. And I can assure you that no one can hurt you ever not even me and you have to trust me.”

“I want to trust you but somewhere I fear to get hurt again like the way I got on trusting him. But Woo” your palm resting on his cheeks, “ but please let me trust you. Let me make you the part of my life. Please make me believe that I can be loved and you will not hurt ever.”

He smiles at you and this is the first time he is genuinely smiling at you without any teasing and you smile a little along with him.

“I have loved you since the day one since the day when you introduced yourself all dolled up in a red dress and you remember I told you that I like your dress for a reason.”

You nod.

“I like red and you caught my eyes that day but not like the other girls but a one who I need to protect. I like you in colour red. You shine the brightest. My bad girl in red.”

You hug him tightly, “thank you, Wooyoung.”

So it was your red dress. Now everything is getting clear why he always puts a red ribbon on your wrist or gifts you red cased pens, red key rings. He always urges you to wear red coloured outfits or a hint of red details atleast available in it. You thought it was just a part of him annoying you but it was just he wanted to see you in red colour.

“I love you, Y/n.”

You didn’t reply but rest your head on his shoulder inhaling his comforting cologne.

“I’m sorry if it’s too fast but after waiting for all these years I couldn’t help and-“

“I love you too, Woo.”

He is smiling brightly hearing your reply with the nickname and place a soft kiss on your forehead and then on your nose. He stares at your lips.

“One day when we will be both in a better situation, I will kiss you on the lips.”

You smile at him and rest your head against his chest, his heart beating fast yet it’s relaxing to you.

In a comfortable silence inside the practice room, there’s two souls promising to be there with each other, one is glad to save the other one and the other is glad to get the comfort they desired all these times. Never ever anyone had thought of having a peaceful silence in a place which is supposed to be loud chaotic.

“But you are still my bad girl who is ready to argue back with me and also we need to be the winners. The winners of the competition and the winners of the life of you and me.”

His bad girl in red.

Please dont hate Mark. I want to give Mark a psycho role and somehow I was lowkey loving it while writing him here but remember he is not even like this in real life. He is an absolute sweetheart. Mark him in your heart.

Perma Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @eriny123 @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon [open!]

can I request a mafia ot8 x reader? where they all kept a secret from her which made her feel betrayed like she wasn’t a part of the team so like she reverted back to her old self (cold, not talking to them at all, being strictly profesional) and each one of them regrets it

CAN WE GO BACK?

Pairing: Mafia! Ateez x f!reader

Genre: Angst, Mafia, Mature

W.C: 4.2k

Warnings: arguments, regret, trust issues, keeping secrets, mention of death and mafia business and deals, traumas and betrayals.

Networks: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity

Note: Thanks for reading and reblogging. I appreciate all of your reviews and feel free to text me if you want. Spread love to others, not hate. I swear if I write one more angst fic then I will end up crying a river. I have made this fic a little bit less angst and let me know how it is.

"Where are they?" You asked Mr. Na with balancing the snacks in your hold.

He looked at you with a frown and glanced at the papers. It was afternoon and you thought to meet your boyfriends in the office but they were not there. It's unusual for them to not be there without telling you where they are going to.

You pout and placed the snacks on the table and munched on one of your favorites. You waited for him to reply but he seemed to return back to his work. "Hey! I asked you something and you are ignoring me. You know who I am right?" You asked him in a threatening tone and he was still not fazed by you.

"I can't hear you. I'm busy." He didn't look up from his paper-works and you got mad.

You slammed your hand on the table in front of him and glared at him. He rolled his eyes with a bored look on his face.

"How will I know where  are they? And also didn't you have a mission this morning? Why are you back so early and annoying me?"

"Me annoying you. I would never." You faked a hurt look on your face and acted to have a heart attack. "I had my missions and I did well. I was really disappointed that those shitheads were not afraid of me at first but were insulting me more. So instead of letting to have them taste of my precious words, I planted some bullets in their head."

He chuckled, "as expected from you."

"But don't you really know where they are...they are not even picking up my calls." You looked down at your phone, still no missed calls or any messages.

"How will I know about it? You are their girlfriend and if they are keeping something so confidential to them, it can only meant that it's to remain within the family and as you are also part of the family so I hope they won't tell me anything about it." He said and went back to his work.

You are their family.

"But they didn't told you anything like if I return or something and where to find them?"

He glared, "no. But they were pretty much in hurry when they left the place and I thought you knew about it. So don't ask me again."

"Jaemin-" "Don't call me by my name during working hours."

You scoffed, "just now you told me that I'm their girlfriend and now you are raising your voice at me. Also, mafia business is for 24/7 so I can call you anything anytime and anywhere."

Jaemin clicked on a website and replied, " it was good when you were of cold personality and kept your distance with everyone. It's pretty much annoying that you always pick me to disturb and interrupt my works."

"Oh come on Jaemin, you love me too much. And just remember if I return back to that self, it will be only when something like in the past has hurt me again. And I really don't want to be like that again. I like being so happy and free everytime."

You were sad and your words were pronounced clearly that made him understand that he should not have said those harsh words to you. He knew how pathetic and vulnerable your past was but still his work load and you in between made him slip those words.

He patted your head, "y/n, I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean like that. I really love to see you so bubbly. They have totally changed you and to see you happy with them is really the best thing in this building."

"You still don't trust me?"

"No no you are the lovely and the best sister I have got here and please don't mind my words like this. Please don't feel sad."

He was really trying his best to hold back his tears and make you trust him that the little suspicion he had back then when you joined the company had disappeared eventually. He always thought of you as the distraction in their life but now he sees you as a blessing. He is a best brother to you.

"Never. I can't feel sad with you atleast. You are not getting rid of me anytime soon."

A ring from Jaemin's phone interrupted your conversation with him, you both watched the name displayed on the screen 'Sir Yunho'. His eyes went wide and stared at the phone and you clutched yours in the hold.

You urged him to pick it up and put it on speaker. He received the call and you leaned forward to scan the drafts on the computer screen on which he was working.

"Has Y/n returned yet?" The voice from the other end was rough and tired.

"She-" you pressed a finger on your lips and signalled him to not tell them about your arrival. "No she hasn't returned yet, let me ask her."

"No let her be. We will be back soon from the business. If she returns then tell her we are out for lunch." He spoke in a hurry.

The call was passed to someone else. Jaemin was surprised that they just told to not tell you that they were out somewhere and even told him to lie to you. He was watching you how you were staring blankly at your phone.

"Jaemin, what happened?" Hongjoong was angry but still he was trying to contain his anger. The younger boy was distracted and soon collected himself to reply back.

"Oh just, some works are pending so I got distracted."

"okay."

The call was cut and you stood up. He was about to say something to you but you raised your hand making him shut and you turned towards the meeting room. The room which belongs to you too but now somehow it felt many secrets are hidden behind it, from you.

he watched you walking towards the room with lost eyes and tired form. He shook his head at the thought that it was not good whatever was going to happen because it's not a good decision for them to keep this sudden business hidden from you.

Where were they even? Why didn't they tell you about it?

These thoughts were storming inside your mind after you entered the room. Your fingers curled into a fist and threw the vase which was placed on top of the side shelf above which a beautiful family picture with you smiling with your boyfriends were hanging. You glared at the picture.

"Where are you all? Don't you all trust me that you had to keep this sudden business as a secret from me?"

You harshly wiped away the tears from your eyes and looked around the room. It was same as earlier when  you noticed before leaving in the morning. You slowly walked towards the leader's chair at the end of the table. 

You sat on it and held the armrest tightly. You turned it around to face the wall behind you. The letters on the wall were piercing your eyes which were designed with orange and black LED mini lights, 'ATEEZ'.

Your family.

"Don't you all trust me as your family?"

The more you were thinking about the situation, the more you felt like convincing yourself that you were just overreacting and after they come back from the place, they will tell you the truth and everything related to it but still somewhere you were impatient.

They know that keeping secrets only triggers you but still they chose to do it.

. . .

"Is she here?" Jongho's voice made Jaemin look up from the computer screen.

Jaemin stood up and greeted him and the rest who were chit chatting in the back. "Y-yeah, she just returned right now."

Jongho smiled and said, "you don't have to work on this today. We need this after two weeks so go have some free time with your friends. Don't stress yourself."

Jaemin nodded and sat down.

"Let's head to the meeting room first and she must be waiting for us in the cafeteria." Yeosang's cheerful voice made everyone laugh and there was a warm feeling in their hearts that you were waiting for them.

Jaemin's eyes followed them going to the same direction where you went earlier. Heavy boots clicked the marble floor with dark looks radiating from them but everyone had a small smile resting on their face because of the thought of you.

Seonghwa opened the heavy metal door only to be greeted by broken pieces of fiber scattered on the floors and then he noticed the vase in front of their picture was lying broken.

"Who the hell did this?" Hongjoong's angry voice brought the others attention to the situation.

"Welcome back, Ateez."

Their eyes followed the source of the voice and noticed the leader's chair facing backward to the table. They couldn't see the person sitting on it due to the high rise of the leather of the backrest but the voice was pretty much familiar, the one they crave to listen often, almost every time.

You swiveled around the chair to face them and they noticed you sitting on it with one leg over the another and staring at your phone.

San was last to enter the meeting room and when he closed the door behind him, he noticed the whole situation and the destruction on the floor.

"You look cute when you sit on this chair."

You ignored Hongjoong's compliment and he was surprised that you didn't reply him back. If it was some other time then you would have teased him or said that you always look better than him and then he would have placed you on his lap and proceed with things.

"How did your mission go?" You glared when San went to touch your cheek after asking the question. He thought you were joking so he again raised his hand only to get swatted away by you.

"Sir San, please keep your hands off from me. You should not touch me like this way."

He laughed, " are you putting up a new act again from a movie?"

"Hey let's get some food in the cafeteria." Yeosang said and smiled towards you while approaching you.

You gave both of them a stern look before staring at the man standing across from you in the far end of the table. He was watching you intently.

Hongjoong leaned forward and supported his hands on the edge of the table, "why are you speaking like this? What's with your behavior with them?"

"How does it feel to be the leader and sitting here? Very authentic, right leader?"

Leader...you don't call him this anymore because after the day they turned you into this new personality, you always call them by their name just to feel them more closer. It makes you feel a family with them.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Seonghwa behind him asked you and you fished your phone inside your pocket of the combat pants and poked the inside of your cheek.

"Why don't you all take a seat? We need to discuss something about business." 

Your words were like a business partner waiting for them to make a deal not their girlfriend who was waiting for their return.

No one budged from their place and you rolled your eyes. You stood up but stayed beside the chair and spin it around. Their eyes followed your movements.

"I thought sitting here will make me the leader but I see that's not the case here."

Wooyoung sat in the second chair at the side of the table.

"Where were you all?" You asked.

Jongho scanned the room to see all of them were busy staring at you and so he said, "we were out for lunch." He nodded in the end.

You bitterly chuckled, "from nine in the morning to this later afternoon...almost four o'clock...you all were out for so long. Just for lunch?"

"We were not out for so long." Hongjoong said confidently.

"Of course. But that's not according to my watch."

"Why the vase is broken?" You smirked at Seonghwa's question.

"Ah finally the question I wanted.well, I broke it."

"Why?"

"And if I ask you the same question Seonghwa, why?"

Mingi interjected, "what do you mean by why?"

San was still standing confused beside the chair on the other side.

"I am asking you all again and for the last time. Where were you all?" Your words were so loud and this sudden yell made some of them surprised and others were still staring at you.

Mingi was quick to reply, "as he said we were out for lunch."

"Don't lie to me. If you don't want to tell the truth then shut up." You clenched your jaw.

"What makes you think like that?" Yunho asked and folded his hands above his chest.

"Oh come on Yunho, you told Jaemin to lie to me that you were out for lunch when you were actually on a secret business. Am I right?"

He was surprised that you knew about it. Wooyoung leaned back to his chair and said, "y/n, it's not like that. That's just a simple issue."

"Then why can't anyone of you tell me where you all were."

Jongho cleared his throat and said, "it's better for you to not know about it."

"Do you think of me as a spy?"

"Y/n no we can't ever think of you like that. Even if you did something wrong then we can always talk it out with each other but we will never suspect you for anything." Jongho quickly stated.

Hongjoong's boot echoed in the room and he stood in front of you. You glared at him when he placed his hand on your shoulder.

"Don't try to manipulate me or try to convince me to trust your lies. You promised me to never hide anything from me but suddenly you all are hiding something from me."

He nodded, "I know but I want you to calm down for me. Please." You scoffed. Another presence made an appearance beside you both but you were yet to notice it but when he spoke up you became more annoyed with the same words.

You pushed away the hand from your shoulder.

"Not always everything can be said to everyone. Sometimes its better to keep some things secret."Seonghwa said and held your hands in his and caressed them a little, "it's for your safety and well being."

He seemed to be calm and contented but deep down he was deeply hurt to see you acting distant with him and not even smiling a bit when he was so near to you. He was holding your hand but he wanted to pull you in a hug.

"We just want to keep you safe, y/n." Yunho stated very slowly and he was sad.

He is always the first person to pull you in a hug and fill you with love and praises and today he would have appreciated you for your success and instead of this dark environment, the room would have filled with laughter when he would have held you up and spin you around in the room.

Mingi stood behind you and prevented you to move away and whispered words to calm you down and to take everything slowly. But you were not in a mood. He was still process the fact that you came to know about the secret business.

You pulled your hands harshly from the grip and shouted which made the person behind you to stumble backward.

"Can you all stop pretending that you all did nothing wrong? If I'm overthinking then let me be like this but you know I hate when my own family hide something from me. It make me feels like I am not trusted. It reminds me of my past."

Wooyoung hesitated to speak anything but still clenched his fist, "no love, we trust you the most. Believe me."

You ignored his words and sat on the chair beside him. Seonghwa was about to say something but Hongjoong held his hand up to make him quiet. The past traumas always triggered you whenever someone lied to you or hide something from you but still he did it.

Rest of them were aware of this situation too. Your words were feeling so distant and you being so hyper was normal for you to act this way. Atleast they should have think about this situation before. You held your head over the table and grabbed your hairs and Wooyoung stared at you with hurtful eyes.

You looked like that old y/n who was with cold heart, piercing eyes and distant space with them. Not their usual y/n with the warm heart, sweet smile and confidence.

Hongjoong was about to pass by you to go towards his chair when he halted in his steps behind you, he raised his hands to pat your head but the younger one beside you grabbed it and glared at him.

"I told you to tell her about the situation but still you were persistent with your decision. Look what you have done." Wooyoung didn't mind to raise his voice at his brother but the leader just nodded to his words and retreated his hand back.

He went to his seat and signaled others to do the same. They all were glancing at you. You were near the leader and San who was across from you was glancing between you and the leader.

He wanted to just pull you towards him and take you away somewhere else just to calm you down and make you feel loved.

When you noticed everyone was seated, you raised your head and blankly asked, "I assume you all to start speaking now. And only the truth."

"We were with your dad and Mr. Lee." Hongjoong started the conversation.

"Don't ever refer that monster as my dad. He is no one to me."

"Mr. Lee's daughter..." he paused and looked around for anyone else to continue and Yunho nodded.

Yunho smiled but quickly erased it when he saw your fuming eyes, "his daughter is engaged to Hongjoong and Seonghwa because once we had a deal in the past to save our organization and today we were there to break the dealership with him."

When the topic finally started. each one of them had a same feelings tugging at their heart. the feeling of regrets. All of them were regretting to keep you oblivion to this.

You scoffed, "engaged?" your eyes took in each of their looks precisely and continued, "so its not about only today. you all were hiding it from me for a long time now. and for how long?"

"it's not like that."

"Yunho, I asked you for how long you all were preparing for this business and when all this engagement happened?" you asked and leaned back into your chair. Mingi was impatiently tapping the top of the table with the back of the pen.

Seonghwa patted Yunho's back  when he was on the verge of tears hearing your harsh and cold tone. he gulped and started to reply but his lost eyes were staring at you and you were not even minding his presence and Mingi chimed in, "last year. your da- I mean Mr. Byun offered this deal so that we could recover from the loss we had in the last year."

Yeosang added, "we thought to not worry you about this whole ordeal and we could have solved it without including you and then pretend that we were never in this situation."

"we always wanted the best for you. please don't feel sad." Wooyound said slowly beside you and you rolled your eyes.

"So I have been lied for one whole year. you made my only chance to go in vain. why? you thought I will be a problem  in this?" you turned towards the leader "were you planning to get married? why did you have to hide this whole thing?"

Jongho was curious, "what only chance you are talking about?"

you smirked at him, "I could have showed Mr. Byun that I have a family which he never gave me. I could have showed him how powerful I am. I am not the weak one he wanted me to be. I could have proved that I am being loved and trusted as a family." You paused and scoffed, “but I think I was delusional all these times.”

Hongjoong clenched his fist on hearing your words and sighed, "Wooyoung and Yunho wanted to tell you about this but I told them and others to keep this discussion away from you. I didn't want to include you because-"

"because you dont trust me. you thought I will support Mr. Byun when you all were crashing to the ground?"

San quickly denied, "no no. we trust you so much y/n. we thought hearing his name or facing him would have hurt you."

Hongjoong nodded and continued, "it would have been more dramatic if people came to know about your relation with Mr. Byun and that you are a part of us inspite of him being our enemy."

"you see me as your enemy?"

"what? no." wooyoung shouted those words at you.

Seonghwa stated quietly, "I'm sorry. I should not have hide these things from you. you should have been told about this earlier. it's really worse for you to find it like this. but trust me we were scared. how to protect you and maintain our organization."

"you made me feel like an outsider."

"I know we did it in that way." Mingi said and looked down.

"After this I can't trust anyone of you like before. Every time now I would feel like you guys are hiding something from me. I will feel like I am somehow related to your enemy and still like before you have the suspicion of me going against you someday."

you paused and inhaled sharply, "I don't know if you guys trust me or not but I have always trusted you more than everything. I trusted you all and whatever you did was to keep me safe and away from this to not hurt me but...atleast you should have let me know about it. My trust would not have broken like this."

Yunho stood up and walked towards you, he turned around your chair and kneeled down, "please Y/n, please we won't hide anything again from you. please talk to me but don't distance yourself from us."

"you gave me no other option. they were engaged all these times, you all met Mr. Byun often and made deals behind my back without even letting me to get a hint of it. I was blinded by the trust that I never noticed you all were lying to me all these times when you were actually going out not to hangout but to meet that monster and this new girl."

You were blinded by the trust that you never noticed they were lying to you.

Wooyoung hugged you from behind, "We only love you. you are everything to me. I never wanted to lie to you but this was the only option. please forget about this and lets go back to normal."

you removed both of their hands from you and stood up. everyone was attentive to your movements. you glanced at the clock and sighed. you were tired and hungry and frustrated. All at the same time and you felt a wave of anger rising inside you.

"you are not leaving us, right?"

"Jongho if I leave right now then where is the thing called 'we can talk out our problems' but yeah that's true that you have made me feel lose my trust on you all."

you paused and then added, "Are you two still engaged with her?"

"yes." both of them quickly replied.

"get rid of her quickly or I will get rid of her from this world."

Both of them nodded.

they all gulped hearing your words and Yeosang grabbed your hand when you stepped forward for the door. you eyed his hand, waited for him to say whatever he wanted but you didn't look in his eyes. you knew if you look at him, you might start crying but you needed some time to recover from this whole situation. 

"I'm sorry."

you knew he was sorry but still you were having so many thoughts that you couldn't still place things right on the places. once your trust is broken, it can't be mended so easily and they knew this. each of them were regretting.

"do you trust me?" your words were meant for all and he nodded quickly. you rolled your eyes and licked your lips.

"the ones who trust me, please follow me to the research room, I have kept the pen drive and file there so I can show you the details of it."

"Will you not eat?" San asked you quietly.

"I am not hungry. Finish the research room process with me and then I need to...I will have some time alone."

you glared towards Hongjoong and Seonghwa and left the room, slamming the door shut behind you. They didn't say anything. after all, it was their fault and you felt betrayed with them hiding things from you for one whole year. Mingi was the next one to leave room to quickly follow you and others sighed.

They need to start to build the trust from the beginning. You wanted to hate them but your trust and love for them was too much to hate them. To forget them as your family.

You smiled towards him and pecked him.

you once said, "how can I trust you?"

he smiled and hugged you, "your enemy is my enemy. our enemy and there is nothing that can come between us to tear us apart. you are the precious and the knot of this family. if someone hurts you, we all will be hurt and get scattered."

“We will never lie to you and there will be no secret between us.”

Was that all a lie then?

Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @hwanring @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon @hyuukah @kazscara @aceofspadesbiofalltrades @nvdhrzn [open!]

♪ song series ♪

hi! this is the first instalment in a series of oneshots i will be writing based on/inspired by a certain song. i recommend listening to the song once (even if you've already heard it) before you read it <3

#1 first time (song | song with lyrics)

pairing : choi san x gender neutral reader, ex bf!jung wooyoung x reader

genre : songfic, angst, fluff, comfort, friends to lovers

warnings : none

w.c. : 1.1k

disclaimer : this is purely a work of fiction made for entertainment purposes only!

masterlist

→ #2

Jung Wooyoung had been your first love. You two had dated for only about five months before things turned sour, but the impact those few months had on you was long-lasting. Of course, you had been in love with him long before you actually got together. And it didn't help that you were the only one who seemed to find it so hard to move on while he appeared perfectly happy.

It happened back when you were both in high school, so naturally you were both a bit immature and made mistakes. But the difference was that at the end of the day, you were always willing to learn from them and do better, because you loved him and really wanted it to work. He, on the other hand, never cared enough to try, and it made you feel like you weren't worth the effort.

It didn't seem to faze him at all when you finally ended things, which left you wondering if he ever even loved you in the first place. Because if he cared even half as much as you did, it shouldn't have been so easy for him to walk away, right? Then you would think back to the start of your relationship - the good times you had, the sweet things he did for you - and you would start questioning where it went wrong. Surely, he didn't just wake up one day and fall out of love? Something must have triggered it. You had been so sure you were destined to be together; you fit like two puzzle pieces. How exactly did you mess up? Then you would have to remind yourself that the onus wasn't just on you; it takes two to make any relationship work. You would remind yourself of all the things that had been wrong with the relationship, that you were better off without him. But love tends to blind you to those faults, doesn't it? And when a jarring alarm plunged you back into reality, it hurt all over again. But you couldn't help it, he had been your dream for so long that you had forgotten how to let go.

* * *

Choi San is your best friend. You shared a class on the first day of college where he made some snide comment about the racist professor, and you found it so funny that the sip of water you had just taken came spewing out of your nose. Needless to say, you two had been inseparable since then. Almost a whole year into your friendship, he confessed he had developed feelings for you. He knew that you didn't feel the same, and assured you he didn't expect anything of you. He just wanted to be honest about what he felt. You braced yourself for the end of your friendship - but surprisingly, it persevered. And so things went back to normal. Well, almost - you stopped talking to him about your lingering feelings for Wooyoung.

* * *

You don't know when exactly those feelings faded.

Graduation is in a few months and you can hardly believe it. You're at the park near your university where you've spent countless afternoons. A dozen more afternoons to go and you won't be able to do this anymore. You look over at San lying on the grass next to you, his eyes closed, his mouth turned upwards in a content smile. The sun on his cheeks. The soft breeze ruffling his hair. You find yourself smiling, too.

You don't know when these new feelings started making themselves known, either. Or what set them off, for that matter.

Maybe it was that time you called him in the middle of the night when the power was out. You hadn't expected him to answer even if he was somehow awake, because you had just had an argument that day and hadn't talked since. You didn't argue often but when you did, you both needed a bit of space for a day or two to sulk, before eventually talking it out and making up. So it hadn't even been a whole day since the fight, and if it weren't for the dark, and the thunderstorm roaring outside, and the nightmare you had just woken up crying from, you wouldn't even have called him but you did. Because he was the only person that came to mind. And he answered, like he always did. And that was the first time he sang to you. His voice felt like being kissed on the forehead as you drifted off to sleep.

Or maybe it was the time you showed him your plushie collection and he got so excited you couldn't handle how cute he was.

Or the time you got so worried when he missed class one day and he wouldn't answer any of your calls or texts and it turned out it was because he had to take a wounded kitten to the vet.

Or the time you cooked him his favourite meal for his birthday and he wouldn't stop boasting about it to everyone.

“What are you staring at?” the sound of his voice pulls you back to the present, and you realise your eyes have been glued to his face for who knows how long.

He arches an eyebrow at you, his soft smile stretching out into a teasing grin, and you could swear you feel butterflies in your stomach. Butterflies that you thought had long died, back in highschool.

“Nothing,”

He shakes his head, resuming his sun bath. You resume admiring his features.

This wasn't pity or gratitude, you were sure. You didn't know what this was yet but you knew it wasn't that. And you knew that whatever this was, it felt as warm and golden as the sunlight on your faces.

You lay down next to him, scooting a little closer than you usually would. If he notices this, he doesn't say anything. You try to think of the last time you thought about Wooyoung and find that surprisingly, you can't remember. And nor does it bother you. He is no longer the face that frequents your dreams, or the name that makes your heart do summersaults.

Your fingers softly graze San's. He doesn't respond at first, and you think he's fallen asleep. Then they twitch, just a little - hesitant, confused. Your fingertips caress the side of his hand every so lightly, and you link your little finger with his. There's a brief pause. Then he takes your hand in his, and you give it a tight squeeze. He squeezes back. All this, while the rest of your bodies lay motionless and your hearts race like the wings of a hummingbird. All this, while your eyes are closed and your giddy smiles light up your faces like the sun.

A passerby might not have noticed this little interaction. Even if they did, they wouldn't think much of it - just two friends fiddling around, or maybe a couple enjoying their date. But only the two of you would know the gravity of this moment. Only the two of you feel the silent shift in your relationship, of new dreams taking shape. A small step in the eyes of everyone else, a giant leap for the both of you.

to love you

when you ask him to be your fake fling he’s not prepared for the way it will make his unaddressed feelings for you grow

⇀ pairing wooyoung x gn!reader (references to yunho x gn!reader)

⇀ genre fluff, angst, fake dating au, unspecified nonidol au, f2l, one sided pining

⇀ style one shot

⇀ word count 10.4k

⇀ warnings jealousy, talks of hooking up, talks of vomit, crying, yelling at reader, yelling at wooyoung, just like a lot of general yelling, something that could be interpreted as a panic attack (no specific descriptions), allusions to violence (in a non-serious sense), cursing, food, alcohol consumption (assumed all characters are of age), parties, multiple kisses, pet names (love, babe), skinship (head on a shoulder, holding hands, holding faces), let me know if i missed anything

you and wooyoung certainly weren’t best friends but that’s not to say you two were enemies either. you’d met each other through a friend of a friend just over a year ago and even though you both felt an instant connection, it was nothing that had either of you suddenly intertwining your lives. wooyoung would consider you a casual friend and if he asked he’s about 89% sure you would say the same, 1% of the other 11 was reserved for what his best friend yeosang liked to call his “simp brain” that wanted to imagine you’d call him something along the lines of a crush, but disregarding the tiny baby so minor and minuscule romantic interest wooyoung had in you, you both were casual friends, “i’m already in the neighborhood, do you want to grab coffee” friends, “i was supposed to have a date but they bailed and i’m already dressed up, do you want to get drinks” friends. you both were certainly not “can you be my fake boyfriend?” friends.

“i’m sorry, what?” wooyoung is lucky he swallowed the last sip of his coffee or it would likely be all over his open laptop.

“you know that guy yunho?” you supply, quite unhelpfully in wooyoung’s opinion.

and yeah of course he knows yunho, he’s yeosang’s roommate, and the guy you haven’t been able to shut up about for the past month. “what does he have to do with anything?” he asks, trying to keep any of the jealousy he felt bubbling in his stomach at the mention of yunho’s name from showing on his face.

you roll your eyes like the answer is obvious as you reply, “well i was talking with mingi the other day,” mingi being the friend you had met wooyoung through in the first place, “and he said i should try making yunho jealous, because he’s pretty sure yunho is actually interested in me but just, like, needs that push.”

wooyoung nods slowly as he continues to listen to you rant, trying to understand where in your mind you think taking mingi’s advice, especially when it came to your love life, would be a good idea. wooyoung loved mingi but the man hadn’t had a date in more than six months and he’s not even sure when the last time his roommate had any romantic interest in anyone was.

“-and so i figured the best way to make someone jealous is basically seem interested in someone else,” you conclude as the man sat across from you tunes back in, trying to look like he’d been listening the whole time instead of wondering how he’d found himself in this situation. he was definitely going to have to talk to mingi once he got back home.

“and you thought i was the best choice for that?” wooyoung raises a brow as you sip your drink.

you nod quickly as you swallow. “well i’m pretty sure he knows hongjoong and seonghwa are dating, jongho is very clearly not my type, i’m not close enough with san, and i doubt he would believe yeo and i were a thing considering they live together,” you explain, listing off all the men in your close circle of friends, except for him, yunho, and mingi, and for a second he considers trying to twist mingi’s intentions by suggesting that maybe the tall blonde is the one who likes you and is looking for an excuse to get close to you but he can still recall the look of sadness on the gentle giant’s face the last time wooyoung threw him under the bus. the look of determination on your face makes it seem like you’d been thinking about this for more than a day, hell maybe even more than a week, but wooyoung can’t tell if your resolve should be alarming in any way because he’s much too worried about the prospect of what pretending to be in a relationship with you might do to his heart.

in a last ditch effort he asks, “isn’t this what, like, tinder is for?” and the way you sigh cues him in to know that you’ve definitely considered that avenue already.

“i don’t want to lead on some poor guy for my own gain like that.”

of course you don’t, you’re too nice, and if you knew that wooyoung would agree in a heartbeat, if it weren’t for his microscopic eensy-weensy romantic interest in you, he’s sure you wouldn’t be asking him for the exact same reason, but wooyoung has been set to keep his feelings to himself since he realized they existed at all and so he can only blame himself for the current situation. well maybe he can blame mingi too but, again, that’s a conversation for later.

wooyoung sighs. “i need to know your plan before i’ll agree to anything,” he says but he knows he’ll end up saying yes no matter what when he sees the way your face immediately lights up at the prospect of your plan working successfully.

“okay,” you place your hands against the table excitedly, causing both of your drinks to wobble slightly, “i was thinking it could be more of a casual thing instead of a full blown relationship so that it would be more believable when we break it off.” you explain and wooyoung can feel that he’s not going to get any work done today, closing his laptop in defeat as he rests his chin on top of his hand, his elbow now placed on the table.

after you’d explained the details of your idea, and your fake situationship, you and wooyoung both left the cafe with a plan for the next couple weeks, leading up to a big party yunho and yeosang were hosting in which you’d explain to yunho that your thing with wooyoung was over and you’d get together and it would all work out.

he had to give it to you, wooyoung had doubted how much rational thought you’d actually put into your idea when you first asked but after hearing you out he was almost convinced himself that it might work. secretly wooyoung was hoping for the romcom ending in which you would realize he was the one that was interested in you, but that was just a itty-bitty thought in the back of his mind, totally not a thought swirling around his head and making his heart thump his entire journey home after you’d parted ways.

“hey, how was your day?” mingi is quick to greet his roommate with a large smile as wooyoung takes off his shoes in the entryway.

“hm yeah it was fine,” wooyoung starts with sarcasm dripping from his voice, “except for the part where you convinced my friend to ask me for a fake relationship!” his words had progressively gotten louder as he approached the taller man, now looking like a kicked puppy and cowering on the couch.

“what’s going on?” seonghwa, who had been trying to pay attention to the television is now alerted to the conflict between his friends when mingi almost sat right on him.

“mingi convinced (y/n) that they just need to make yunho jealous in order to get him to make a move,” wooyoung plops down next to seonghwa, arms crossed in front of his chest and pout set on his face.

“and that’s your problem because,” seonghwa trials off, gesturing for wooyoung to supply the rest of the sentence before placing a comforting hand on mingi’s arm.

“because,” wooyoung sighs, taking a deep breath before he finishes his sentence, “they asked me to be their fake situationship.”

mingi pops up off the couch suddenly at wooyoung’s statement, looking just as surprised as wooyoung is sure he was in the cafe with you less than an hour earlier.

“i did NOT suggest they fake date one of our friends,” mingi explains, scrambling through the living room in search of, well, wooyoung’s not sure. “my suggestion was to just get a little comfy with someone at a party or something,” he explains, pulling the pillow off from where he’d been sat and sighing in relief as he takes his phone into his hands, fingers flying across the screen in a panic.

“i don’t see the issue,” seonghwa interjects, “it’s not like you’re actually dating and it’s not even like you’re fake dating if you’re not calling it official,” the oldest of the group shrugs, opening one of the boxes of pizza on the coffee table and pulling out a slice for himself. “plus it’s not like you’re interested in them or anything.”

mingi freezes at this, his behavior a complete 180 from only a few seconds ago as his gaze slowly drifts up from his phone to wooyoung who has stiffened next to seonghwa. the two youngest both let out audibly pained chuckles and seonghwa drops his plate dramatically back down onto the table.

“don’t tell me.”

wooyoung clears his throat loudly. “so i may have, like, the tiniest most insignificant crush on them,” he practically whispers, face feeling slightly warmer at the prospect of the situation he’s in, and certainly not his feelings for you.

seonghwa narrows his eyes at the youngest, a question on the tip of his tongue before mingi decides to supply the answer anyway.

“you’ve been in love with them for months, we all know.”

“i am not in love with them,” wooyoung shouts back, anger reignited as he focused back on the true root of the issue, mingi and his bright ideas. “yes i might think they’re attractive, and yes i would like to date them for real, and maybe, just maybe, i do get a little jealous when they talk about yunho, but that doesn’t mean i like them that much.”

wooyoung feels the energy fizzling out and his words get weaker as he observed the looks on his roommates’ faces. mingi seems almost smug, like he’s been proven right, while seonghwa wears an amused grin, eyebrows raised slightly in satisfaction.

“you’re sure about that?”

the next week, as he’s laying sprawled out on his best friend’s bed, yeosang busy putting away his freshly cleaned laundry, he sighs for what feels like the millionth time and the dark haired man at the closet has had enough.

“either say something or stop sighing,” yeosang grunts, placing the last hanging item in the closet. as he moves to sit at his desk, wooyoung flips onto his stomach quickly, causing the bed to creek and him to bounce slightly.

“i just don’t get it,” wooyoung says and yeosang resists the urge to groan. this is the same conversation the two had been having since wooyoung found out about your interest in yeosang’s roommate.

woo complains that he doesn’t understand why you think yunho is so great and then yeo has to bring his friend back to reality by reminding him that yunho is actually a pretty great guy and that woo is the one who could change his own fate, if he just had the balls to admit he was interested in you. but of course wooyoung always manages to weasel out of the truth, claiming that he doesn’t like you that much, or that you don’t like him, which yeo thinks is shit considering the amount of times you started ditching him for his own best friend but he’s not a snitch.

it’s yeosang’s turn to sigh. “i’m not doing this again,” he mutters. “yunho is not a bad guy, in fact he’s a great guy, all of his previous relationships ended amicably, he’s not unattractive according to the people that have asked me to give him their number, and as far as i know he and (y/n) actually have quite a bit in common.” yeosang turns to wooyoung quickly, finding the younger man with a small pout gracing his features.

as wooyoung opens his mouth to possibly argue against one of the points his friend had raised, both men hear the familiar sound of the front door opening and yunho’s usual greeting rings through the apartment. both boys suddenly feel like they’ve been caught, wooyoung’s eyes going wide for a moment as yeosang turns back to busy himself with the unfolded clothes on his desk.

“hey,” yunho says, poking his head through yeosang’s open door a few moments later. “they were out of those macarons you like at the cafe so i got you a maple cinnamon roll instead, y/n suggested it.”

at the mention of your name wooyoung perks up, trying not to seem too eager at the mere thought of you.

“sorry woo, i didn’t know you were over until after i’d ordered or i would have gotten you something,” yunho apologizes and wooyoung hates that he can tell it’s sincere.

wooyoung thinks it would be a lot easier to hate his best friend’s roommate if he was not actually such a nice guy. but he just can’t hate him, he might dislike him a bit for being such a great guy and being the one to hold your attention, but honestly feeling anything but amicable toward the man just makes him feel guilty. it’s not yunho’s fault you find him attractive and it’s certainly not yunho’s fault that wooyoung can’t just admit his feelings.

“you ran into y/n?” yeosang asks, honestly not trying too hard to hide the glance he throws wooyoung’s direction.

yunho nods as he moves to fully lean against yeosang’s doorframe. “they said they were stopping by the cafe before they were supposed to meet a friend.”

yeosang and wooyoung both nod in response, wooyoung’s a little more engaged while yeosang keeps looking between his two best friends.

“they actually asked if you were over,” yunho continues, gesturing to wooyoung with a quick tick of his chin.

the younger man’s expression quickly shifts to confusion before he’s remembering your idea he’d been telling yeosang about only half an hour before. he tries to tone down the shock of hearing you ask about him as he asks, “really?”

“yeah,” yunho chuckles slightly. “they said you weren’t answering any of their texts and that only happens when you’re with yeosang.”

before yunho is even done with his explanation wooyoung is digging through the slightly askew comforter he’d unceremoniously dropped himself and his phone onto once he’d arrived an hour ago. he’s not sure if you just made up the statement to prove to yunho that you two were close, as you truly didn’t text each other much outside of making plans, but no matter if you were just trying to provoke yunho you had spoken the truth. just about every time you texted wooyoung he would drop everything to respond. mingi would call it being “down bad”, and maybe wooyoung was learning to accept that fact about himself.

as wooyoung scrolled through the texts you’d sent him, a little update about how you think the plan is working and a picture of a cute dog that you said looked a little like him, which totally didn’t make him blush, he hears yunho clear his throat.

“are you two,” yunho pauses as wooyoung glances up at him, finding the conversation to feel a bit stiff and uncomfortable. “are you two like a thing?” yunho finally asks, finding the setup of yeosang’s room to be more interesting as his friend watches a blush creep onto the tips of his ears.

it’s wooyoung’s turn to find the decor around him interesting as he replies, trying to remember everything you’d talked about, “i wouldn’t call it a thing.” wooyoung shrugs trying to seem cool as he feels his heart beat creeping up into his throat.

he hadn’t anticipated it being this hard. the man hadn’t even lied about anything yet and he could still feel the guilt settling into the back of his throat, flavoring his words with a bitterness that held a strange mix of satisfaction, for getting to even pretend to know you in a more intimate way than his current competition, and regret, for agreeing to be apart of a plan that might cause one of his friends any distress.

“they’ve just been talking about you a lot,” yunho adds and if wooyoung had a little less self control he’d probably have fallen right off yeosang’s bed. he’s too focused on the thought of you purposely mentioning him in conversation to others to think about how yunho would know, the older man probably having seen you more times than wooyoung had in the past week.

“i think they’re in what you might call a situationship,” yeosang supplies when wooyoung doesn’t respond, shrugging as if he has no interest in the information he’d just shared.

wooyoung bites his tongue as he takes a deep breath, mentally preparing to tell the biggest lie he’s probably told in his whole life, just as you’d agreed to. “you remember that party their friend, whatever-her-name-was, had a few weeks ago?”

yunho nods gently, now able to look at wooyoung again after having determined that the conversation maybe wasn’t that uncomfortable.

“well we kinda,” wooyoung pauses, knowing it’s his last chance to back out before everything changes, and so he pushes forward with a sigh, “we hooked up that night and we’ve gotten together a few times since then.”

for wooyoung, it felt weird to say, the statement now just sitting in the air as he sees yunho trying to digest the information. he thought it might make him feel some way but instead he just feels empty, knowing that it’s entirely untrue. sure you’d left that party together, a fact that you had remembered and wanted to use in order to make your little fib realistic, but you’d both simply had enough of partying that night and gone for food at the convenience store on the corner before he walked you home. as far as wooyoung was aware, and he was pretty sure you didn’t go anywhere after he left your doorstep, you’d both gone to bed alone that night. and yet wooyoung didn’t feel like he could let himself daydream even the thought of you both actually doing anything then, the idea much too dangerous for the way he’d slowly started accepting what all his friends had been telling him about his affections recently. and even though he might be able to admit that he does have a crush on you, he certainly wasn’t expecting to hear the question falling from yunho’s lips.

“do you love them?”

wooyoung could feel his stomach jump right into his throat, his heart plummeting at the same time and causing nausea to replace the guilt he’d been wadding in just moments earlier.

“uh i think love is maybe a strong term,” he tries to chuckle lightly but he can hear the awkwardness permeating the laugh. “but i do like them.”

it’s the first time he’s admitted it without a caveat, and just like with the lie before, he feels the emptiness returning except instead of sitting deep into his stomach it fills his entire chest cavity, only stirring the nausea and making him feel like he’d much rather sink into the covers of his best friend’s bed than continue this conversation. he’s just not sure how much more he can say before he might actually vomit.

yunho nods slowly, a thoughtful look on his face, before he says, “i think you two would be good together.”

wooyoung is much too focused on staying grounded and not revealing the sickness that he feels to analyze whether yunho is telling the truth, a slight burn building in his chest of what he can only assume is bile, and at this point he’s not sure he wants to know what yunho thinks anymore. why did he agree to this?

“well, that roll is on the counter whenever you want it yeo,” yunho continues, oblivious to the turmoil brewing in wooyoung’s mind and body. “see you later woo.”

with that the man is gone, disappearing into his bedroom down the hall.

yeosang turns to his best friend quickly, ready to supposedly recap the conversation but stops in his tracks when he sees the look of pain on wooyoung’s face.

“how am i gonna make it through this?”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

the next week or so is filled with moments similar to this, where he has to look at yunho and lie straight to his face, straight to his own heart. and although yeosang assured that it would have to get easier at some point, wooyoung can feel he’s reaching his own breaking point.

throughout the process, as you execute your plan, you actually try to spend more time with wooyoung, starting with simple little outings that weren’t too different from things you might do usually. at some point these outings morphed into full fledged dates, and every time wooyoung felt himself sinking into the idea that he might be able to just enjoy this for what it was, you were quick to mention the plan and pop the bubble that wooyoung had found solace in. although he feels something unfamiliar burning lightly in his chest he can’t even fathom to be mad at you, too unbelievably happy in those moments where he could forget that you were faking it all.

“i’m not sure this is good for you anymore,” seonghwa had said one day after wooyoung had come home from a day out with you, plopping himself down onto the couch with an exhausted heart from the emotional roller coaster you were unknowingly taking him on.

wooyoung only let out a grunt, the sound muffled by the cushion his face was squished against, and seonghwa sighed in response.

“you’re tearing yourself apart for them,” seonghwa tried to reason, his quest of stopping this little escapade you’d set yourself on as futile as always.

wooyoung was sure he was delirious at this point, fatigue settled deep into his body from the way he felt he was chasing every moment with you, and so the next words that slipped off his tongue were completely unvetted by his mind and entirely from the heart.

“how else would i be able to love them?”

if seonghwa is surprised by the statement he doesn’t show it, his face neutral as wooyoung turns to look at him, the older man now crouched next to where wooyoung lies. he’s not sure what reaction he expected, and he knows that he asked an unanswerable question, but somehow wooyoung’s not surprised when seonghwa reaches out to run a gentle hand up and down the younger’s back.

the next words wooyoung speaks come out watery as he feels tears pricking at the back of his eyes and that unfamiliar burn returns to his chest, “they’ll always love someone else.”

as much as seonghwa wants to argue, to point out that you shouldn’t think in forevers and absolutes, right now he knows that his friend just needs comfort. so he moves to pull wooyoung so that he’s sitting, seonghwa moving into the space he’s created on the couch and taking his younger friend into his arms, letting him sob gently against his shoulder.

as if he couldn’t feel bad enough about this entire situation, wooyoung wakes the next morning to a text from you. normally he might feel a bit giddy to hear from you but the message is nothing like any of the ones you’d recently started sending, casual conversations about your days and cute pictures of things that reminded you of him. it was cold, with a finite energy and wooyoung could feel it like a punch to the chest.

y/n: let’s break it off

wooyoung can barely perceive himself moving to message you back, feeling like he’s gone into autopilot. he’s tried to be prepared for this but with the way he’s allowed himself to feel with you for the past few weeks it’s almost as devastating as knowing that he’s been making himself comfortable inside of a lie. as he turns over to try to return to sleep he feels that same something unfamiliar burn in his chest.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“you should go anyway,” yeosang says, looking down at wooyoung from his place on the couch.

wooyoung has taken to wallowing in self pity on the floor of his living room, mingi having forcefully pulled him out of the pitiful nest he had created of his bed a few hours ago upon seonghwa’s request.

“and see yunho all over them, no thank you,” wooyoung pouts.

the two of them had been talking about the party at yeosang’s, and by extension yunho’s, place since yeosang had arrived just over an hour ago. the party was supposed to be the final phase of the plan, when you would confront yunho, with the help of the alcohol that would surely be in your system, and wooyoung was obviously less than enthusiastic to see you complete the last stage of the plan. his best friend had been arguing that he could reasonably avoid you the entire night and be able to have fun anyway, but wooyoung wasn’t in the mood to have fun in the first place.

“if you just stay by the beer pong table the whole night i’m sure you’ll be able to avoid them,” mingi supplies helpfully, to which wooyoung whines in response.

“and have a perfect view of the rest of the room, where everyone else will be having the time of their lives, yeah great, very cool,” wooyoung spits sarcastically, limbs flailing about around him as he tries to push away the mental images of all of his friends getting to have a great night while he tries to keep from silently crying into his cup in a corner.

“so you’re just never going to go to another party?” seonghwa asks, stepping over his roommate as he goes about tidying the living room, setting things that had migrated amongst the room back where they belong.

wooyoung stops at this, turning over quickly so he can toss seonghwa, who spares no glance to him, a questioning look. “what do you mean?”

seonghwa just shrugs, dusting an empty shelf before he reorganizes the knick-knacks that would sit on it. “well, if you’re avoiding this party because you don’t want to see them together, then you’re going to have to avoid every party where you know they’ll be, which will likely be every party you’re invited to,” seonghwa explains, enunciating slowly as though wooyoung is only a child.

“and if you’re just avoiding anything they’ll be at together are you going to stop coming to group hangouts, or anything either one of them is at in fear that the other person will show up,” seonghwa continues, oblivious to the way wooyoung seems to be melting into the floor as he realizes how crazy his logic from earlier sounds now that the eldest is breaking it down like this. “so are you just going to stop being friends with both of them?”

wooyoung lets out something akin to a growl as he flops once more onto his back, his legs kicking in the air as he knows that he’s been cornered. “i get it,” he whines, hands smacking gently against his face in defeat.

“if you just rip the bandaid off now it’ll be so much easier,” yeosang adds, “you won’t have built it up more than you have already.”

“i hate when you’re all right.”

so, with the caveat that he can hang onto one of his roommates the whole night for emotional support, wooyoung finally agrees to attend the party.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“have you been avoiding me?”

wooyoung knew it was a bad idea to come to this cafe, the same one he had made that stupid agreement with you at, the one where you might be found more often than not, your favorite cafe. and if any of his friends were here with him they might just call him an absolute idiot, yeosang might even call it masochistic, to think that he could avoid you in the one spot you were sure to be.

“avoiding you?” wooyoung hears himself speak before he is even able to process what he should say, his nerves too frazzled by your proximity, standing closer than he thinks you ever have before. it certainly doesn’t help that with the warmer weather lately you’ve taken to start cycling your summer clothes into your wardrobe, your outfit today including one of your favorite tank tops, showing off the soft skin of your collarbone and shoulders. wooyoung has to use all of his self control to not reach out and brush his fingertips against you, tracing shapes into your skin and feeling you shudder beneath his gentle touches.

he’s snapped suddenly out of the trance he had been sinking into when you speak again, “you haven’t been answering any of my messages.”

at this wooyoung moves his gaze to your face and although he can see the teasing smile that graces your lips he can still spot a bit of disappointment swimming in your eyes.

“i’m sorry,” he replies, sounding much too genuine for the way you had seemed to be trying to hide your true disappointment in the playfulness of your usual cadence you adopted around him, and he feels the familiar pool of guilt start to fill the void that he’d been keeping in the pit of his stomach since you’d broken things off.

as you stand before him, forcing him into your personal space and looking at him expectantly, he thinks back to his decision to turn off notifications from your number, one that all of his friends had already torn him to shreds for. at the time he had reasoned that it was to protect himself from the repeated heartbreak he would suffer every time he might interact with you. unfortunately, in making this decision he hadn’t thought about what his seemingly sudden disappearance from your life might do to you, he hadn’t considered that he might be hurting you, and the guilt only grows.

you seem to be slightly taken back by his apology, likely not expecting him to reply in earnest, taking a moment to collect yourself before you state, “so you admit it, you were avoiding me,” although it comes out as more of a question, your head tilting gently as you seem to be inspecting the man before you, and wooyoung hates that he feels so exposed.

you aren’t even aware of the way you hold wooyoung’s heart in your hands but the longer you stand dissecting his expression the more he feels like your grip on it is too tight. he can’t tell whether you want him to answer honestly, or if you even care if he does, his mind is far too clouded by the scent of your shampoo along with the hurt he can see you trying to hide behind the confusion in your eyes, and he feels the familiar prickle of tears forming in his own.

he watches as your own features turn to concern, but before either of you can move to speak again, you’re both thrust out of the moment as someone behind you asks, “are you two going to move? you’re holding up the line.”

and suddenly wooyoung feels like the entire world can see him, pathetically crying over a person stood directly in front of him, and he needs to get out.

he’s not sure how he manages to make it out of the cafe with his vision as watery as it is, tears now fully rolling down his cheeks, but he assumes muscle memory simply kicked in as he finds himself briskly walking in the direction of his apartment.

“wooyoung!” he hears you call behind him and for a moment he considers stopping but then he feels that familiar burn in his chest, the same one he felt when you’d broken things off, and in a moment of clarity, as his feet carry him further from the agreement you’d both made, he realizes what it is, anger. although he’s never felt anger like this before, anger that roots itself into that guilt he’d been building for the entire time you’d pretended to be something. so it’s not an anger he can quickly pick apart and resolve, no, it’s an anger that feels like it feeds off of everything he’s been through for the past month. he’s angry at himself, for being so stubborn for so long, at his friends, for pushing for him to reanalyze his feelings, at the situation, for being so complicated, at yunho, for being the one you want, at the plan, for making everything worse, and most importantly at you.

his feet suddenly come to a halt, and you must have been closer behind than he thought because just a moment later he feels you running right into his back, not having expected him to actually stop.

“what do you want from me?” he spits, whipping around and causing you to jump in surprise.

“wooyoung,“ you begin softly, feeling his gaze sharp and strong, “what’s wrong?”

“you want to know what’s wrong?” he laughs, the sound void of any real humor. “you’re what’s wrong.”

you try not to react, knowing that he probably doesn’t mean what he’s saying, but he can see the way your hands, that had been hesitantly reaching toward him, suddenly drop to your sides.

“you and your goddamn plan,” he starts. “why couldn’t you have just fucking talked to yunho yourself instead of dragging me along for your own fun? you’re so goddamn selfish it doesn’t even cross your mind that other people might get hurt by the shit you think up. but it doesn’t matter to you does it? no one else’s feelings and emotions really matter as long as you can get what you want in the end. how long are you gonna string along yunho before you have to tell him you’re a liar and break his heart too? how many other guys are you going to hurt and then manipulate into feeling guilty for protecting themselves from you, huh?”

by the end of his rant he’s shouting, surely attracting attention from anyone else just trying to go about their lives that might happen to pass you both on the sidewalk, but wooyoung couldn’t care less, each word cooling the burn in his chest and laced with the anger that he can no longer stand to house inside of himself.

“wooyoung, please-“ you try to start, but he must miss the watery way you speak and how your own tears now threaten to join his on the sidewalk as he interrupts you.

“i wish i could just stop loving you,” and with his final peace spoken he turns and begins, once again, the trek home, an inexplicable exhaustion weighing down his steps.

he barely even registers that you don’t follow.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“JUNG WOOYOUNG WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

when he had returned home to an empty apartment, he felt like it was the only good thing that had happened to him in the last month, but then, as he sat in silence, calming his nerves and slowing his racing heart, his actions from the last half hour began to sink into his conscious. he knew his friends would find out what he had done sooner or later, but he certainly didn’t expect to find four of them bursting through his front door in a fury only minutes after he’d arrived.

hongjoong, always the voice of reason, had been the one to shout and announce their presence, his boyfriend, and wooyoung’s roommate, in tow. both men were visibly upset, although reasonably so, and if mingi didn’t have a gentle hold on seonghwa’s wrist wooyoung is sure the eldest would have tackled him to the ground by now.

“i knew you were an idiot but man,” yeosang says, bringing up the rear.

“so,” wooyoung tries, looking anywhere but his friends, “how was lunch?”

hongjoong takes a breath, likely trying to calm himself as he replies, “great, we even ran into a friend,” sarcasm heavy on each syllable.

“oh really?” wooyoung asks just above a whisper.

“yeah,” hongjoong nods harshly with an angry smile, “we would’ve invited them to join us had they not been FUCKING SOBBING,” he ends shouting.

“ah,” wooyoung tries, wishing the couch might just swallow him whole. “so you ran into y/n i’m guessing.” wooyoung lets out an awkward cough, releasing a humorless chuckle as he finally glanced back up at his friends.

“i’m going to ask this again,” hongjoong starts once more, taking several large breaths with his eyes closed to presumably calm himself. “what is wrong with you?”

“what did you do?” mingi takes a turn to speak up, releasing his hold on seonghwa who moves to run a soothing hand along his boyfriend’s back.

wooyoung can’t find the energy to recount the details of your entire encounter, and he also doesn’t feel like being berated for every little misstep he’d taken throughout your interaction, so he resolves to try summarizing the last half hour for the four men that are giving him some of the most expectant looks he’s probably ever seen. “we-uh,” he starts, as eloquently as usual, “we ran into each other and i may have cried and then i may have gotten angry and then i may have, uhm, madethemcry.” his last three words come out as one as he tries to get them out as quickly as possible, hating the way they taste rolling off his tongue.

and now, as the four men that had been listening so closely are thrown into a flurry once more by his statement, he begins to digest his own statement. he made you cry, and he’s sure if the room wasn’t filled with the voices of four of his friends arguing, the crack he feels in his heart would echo against the walls around him.

“i also told them i loved them,” wooyoung says again, barely above a whisper and yeosang is quick to shush the other three.

“you what?”

“i told them i loved them,” he repeats before quickly clarifying, “well it was more like i told them i wished i didn’t.”

and that set them all off again, each of his friends shouting over each other, and wooyoung just sunk into himself, the image of your tear stained cheeks at the front and center of his mind.

after what wooyoung might consider a pretty reasonable 15 minutes of being reminded how he has fucked up in pretty much every way possible, mingi was the first to calm down, always the one to move through his emotions quickly, and yeosang was soon to follow. seonghwa was the next to cool off, half way through a shouted sentence remembering the moment just a week ago in which he’d comforted wooyoung on the same couch he stood in front of now. hongjoong didn’t get the chance to simmer down, seonghwa pushing him to go home before he could pop a blood vessel.

“what are you thinking about?” yeosang asks, sitting himself next to wooyoung on the couch.

“how stupid i am,” wooyoung sighs, staring up at the ceiling.

yeosang sighs, placing a tentative but comforting hand on wooyoung’s bicep. “you’re not stupid,” yeosang says, “you’re just in love.”

wooyoung lolls his head to the side, getting a good view of his friend to see if he was joking, but all he found was sincerity, and a little pity, in the gentle smile on yeosang’s face.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

saturday

y/n: let’s break it off

woo: sure

sunday

y/n: hey, i just told yunho

y/n: just figured you should know

tuesday

y/n: can we talk?

wednesday

y/n: everything okay?

today

y/n: i really need to tell you something

that night wooyoung opens your chat and feels even worse about everything that happened today, but before he can tumble into a cycle of self pity once again, he feels his phone vibrate in his hand.

y/n: are you still going to the party tomorrow?

wooyoung practically tosses his phone in the air with the way he jumps up in surprise, fingers flying across the keyboard to respond. he types out and deletes his message at least five times before he hits send, debating if he should take this moment to apologize in fear that he won’t ever get the chance again. in the end he decides to just answer your question, straight and simple, not wanting to fuck up anything else.

woo: yeah

and in the minute he waits for a response he feels like his nerves are on fire, mentally berating himself for his answer. he should have apologized, or said something else, anything else. you probably wanted him to do more, address what happened earlier in the day, but of course he couldn’t even do that right. so wooyoung starts that spiral again, sinking into the depths of his own mind, until he feels his phone vibrate.

y/n: cool

y/n: i’ll see you there

wooyoung can barely sleep that night, either replaying his mistakes from the day or rehearsing the apology he had to give you at the party.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

yeosang had managed to rope wooyoung into helping with the set up at his and yunho’s apartment for the party, claiming it would help him to get his mind off of things, but as wooyoung knocks on his best friends door, he can feel the anxiety creeping up as he tries to think of a plan for if yunho were to open the door instead of yeosang. wooyoung is so lost in his nerves he doesn’t realize that yeosang has answered until the older man speaks.

“why are you shaking?” yeosang asks, confusion clear on his face as he opens the door wider for the quaking man in question to enter.

“uh, yunho,” is all wooyoung says, as he inspects the state of the apartment.

streamers and other miscellaneous decorations are thrown about the entrance area and living room, the beer pong table already set up in the corner farthest away from the hall to yeosang and yunho’s bedrooms, giving it the best view of the open concept living room and kitchen, and wooyoung tosses around the idea of mingi’s suggestion. he would certainly be able to see when you arrive so he can catch you before you lose yourself in the party tonight.

“oh, he and mingi went to pick up the stuff for drinks,” yeosang shrugs, “i thought mingi would have told you.”

wooyoung just shakes his head before yeosang starts instructing him on what he needs to do, placing the younger in charge of setting up the kitchen while yeosang gets everything hung up in the entrance and living areas.

for the first half hour, wooyoung does have to admit that he is more focused on decorating and organizing the snacks, making sure to leave room for drinks, than the apology he has perfected that had been swirling through his mind all day. he busies himself with which color balloon should be where and whether he should put the salty and sweet together or mix them up a bit so one side doesn’t get more crowded than the other, of which he decides to mix them together, instead of how he should open the conversation he’s dreading. of course as he finally starts managing to sink himself into his task all the way he hears a throat clear behind him.

expecting it to be yeosang who has some little complaint about the way wooyoung hung the streamers or how he should at least put the cookies all together he just says, “i don’t want to hear it.”

instead of one of yeosang’s usual quips wooyoung is surprised to hear a much deeper voice, laced with confusion. “what?”

wooyoung is quick to whip around, ending up face to face with, a slightly amused but mostly puzzled looking, yunho who has a bottle of tequila in one hand and some sort of mixer in the other, a few bags scattered on the floor near his feet.

“sorry,” wooyoung is quick to move, gesturing to the empty space on the counter. “thought you were yeosang,” wooyoung explains, stepping as far out of yunho’s way as he can.

yunho just chuckles lightly, as he sets the two bottles down, turning to wooyoung, “i figured.”

to wooyoung’s surprise yunho doesn’t move to unpack any more of the bags, instead leaning up against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest.

“he went out to grab another cord for the speakers,” yunho explains, “we always manage to loose one.”

wooyoung just nods slowly, his gaze flickering between the decorations still left to be used and the bags that still need to be unpacked, and just as wooyoung is about to move back to do one of those tasks, yunho speaks up again.

“y/n told me,” he says and wooyoung freezes completely, feeling his heart plummet into his feet. he prepares himself for any of the rage that yunho might be about to throw his way, even trying to mentally steel himself for the way yunho will surely laugh at him for telling you that he loved you. how could his love compare to that which is reciprocated by someone you actually wanted.

“i still mean what i said,” yunho continues and wooyoung dares to glance at his friend. “i think you two would be good together.”

now it’s wooyoung’s turn to be puzzled. for a moment he wonders if yunho is sick at all because he certainly wouldn’t tell another guy, especially one that made his crush cry, that they would be good together but with the way yunho doesn’t react to wooyoung’s confusion wooyoung fears that maybe the sleep deprivation has finally caught up to him.

“i know that it was supposed to be all pretend but i don’t think you were lying when i asked you if you loved them,” yunho continues and wooyoung shakes his head like it will clear out his thoughts. “you’re a pretty open book.”

wooyoung decides he might as well bite the bullet and asks, “what did they tell you?”

“that it was fake,” yunho replies easily, “the situationship.”

wooyoung wishes that his answer cleared anything up but instead it only leaves him feeling more lost. does yunho like you? does he know about yesterday? do you still like yunho? wasn’t the end of the plan the party? that had to mean that you ended the plan early, did it not work out?

“i hope it works out for you,” yunho concludes, leaving wooyoung to stand mindlessly in the middle of the kitchen as the older man goes about setting up the drinks.

“thanks,” is all wooyoung can say in response and suddenly the party can’t start soon enough.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

when it’s half an hour past go time and you still haven’t arrived, he’s tempted to text you but he decides against it when he realizes he’s not sure what he would even say. mingi had been reassuring him that it was fine, turning to say so every time he would score in the game of beer pong he and a friend of a friend were playing, he thinks she introduced herself as yuri or yeji or something that started with a y but it’s hard for him to remember when his mind has been stuck on you for the last hour now.

“i told you they were pregaming at san’s so you know it’s gonna take them forever,” mingi says before downing the cup in his hand, the girl across the table high-fiving her friend excitedly. “plus i’m pretty sure they were going to wait for jongho to get off work and swing by his place to grab him.”

wooyoung just nods quickly, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. he had decided to forgo drinking until you arrived, wanting to be sober when he talked to you but the longer he waited the more he was regretting that decision, the soda he’d been nursing for the last half hour going flat as it swished around his cup.

before he can start to overthink it, he leans in next to mingi’s ear, not wanting to yell over the music. “i’m gonna grab a drink,” he says, not waiting for his friend’s response before he’s pushing through the crowd of people dancing, making his way to the kitchen.

“they here yet?” yeosang asks as soon as he spots wooyoung entering the kitchen, simultaneously handing an obviously tipsy seonghwa another drink.

“no,” wooyoung responds quickly, tossing the liquid in his cup into the sink before reaching for one of the bottles of soju on the counter.

seonghwa lets out a high pitched giggle, not hiding that it’s at wooyoung’s expense as the younger whips his head to stare daggers at his senior. “don’t you have a hongjoong to be hanging off of?” wooyoung spits and the phrase receives the reaction he’d intended, seonghwa quick to let out a squeaky “joongie!” before making his way back into the clump of bodies wooyoung had just emerged from.

as he watches his oldest friend disappear into the crowd, yeosang following suit, wooyoung catches mingi’s gaze, eyes wide as he ticks his chin in the direction of the front door, and he knows what it means immediately.

you’re here.

he can see the top of your head slowly moving into the center of the crowd, presumably being pulled by none other than choi san, who wooyoung can see is already flushed when the crowd moves and he can catch glimpses of you both dancing together, a bright smile displayed on your face as you laugh at san. he wants to go to you but he feels like his feet are suddenly too heavy, unable to do anything but watch from a distance.

“just the man i was looking for,” jongho says, clapping wooyoung on the back harshly, and successfully pulling him out of the trance you’d put him in.

“why?” wooyoung whines before he turns to jongho, seeing the smile that only his younger friend could lace with a scary sort of anger and wooyoung’s blood runs cold.

“y/n was just telling me about the interesting conversation you two had yesterday,” jongho says, his hand moving from wooyoung’s back up to his shoulder and squeezing harshly. wooyoung resists the urge to yell and instead tries to push the younger’s hand away, ducking under his arm to try and escape.

“i’m going to apologize,” wooyoung is quick to explain, now facing jongho head on in hopes to stop any more of his friend’s attacks.

jongho just drops his smile, muttering a quick, “i hope so,” before he moves past wooyoung and toward the drinks.

once wooyoung is sure he’s no longer in danger of being on the wrong side of jongho’s anger he quickly turns back to the crowd, scanning quickly for you or san. he spots san easy enough, having moved his dancing from the floor up onto the couch that had been pushed up against one of the walls. unfortunately you’re no longer with him and so wooyoung continues his search once more, although it’s starting to prove difficult as he realizes that more people must have arrived during his quick exchange with jongho, the living room packed almost wall to wall.

“who are we looking for?”

wooyoung almost jumps three feet in the air as your voice registers so clearly, your mouth centimeters away from his ear so that you can speak without straining over the music. he places a hand firmly against his chest as he tries to calm his racing heart but when he turns to you he knows the attempt is futile.

“can we talk?” wooyoung eventually manages out between staggered breaths, yelling over the music instead of opting to get closer to you, fearing that he might overstep some sort of boundary if he were to be inside of your personal space.

you only nod in response before you grab his wrist, and wooyoung barely registers where you’re pulling him off to as he focuses on the way your fingertips press into his skin. only once you’ve closed the door behind you two, successfully muffling the music and voices enough to converse without shouting, do you release his arm and he recognizes the room as his best friend’s.

you make no effort to move away from wooyoung once you’ve succeeded in locking the door behind him, ignoring the many extra feet of space that you could place between you both, and wooyoung isn’t sure if he’s overthinking but he would like to assume it’s a good sign.

“i was looking for you,” wooyoung answers your question from earlier, feeling like his mouth is much too dry before he remembers he’s been holding a cup in his hand since you’d arrived and takes the smallest swig of the liquid inside. he notices you aren’t holding a drink and debates about offering a sip of his own to you before ultimately deciding to just set it down on yeosang’s desk, leaning awkwardly to the side in order to reach.

“why?” you ask and wooyoung loses his balance for a moment, falling into you slowly before his feet find better support. if he hadn’t felt hot enough with embarrassment just from starting to fall in front of you, he’s now overheating when he realizes you’d placed a hand on his chest to keep him from completely falling onto you, your palm feeling as though it might burn a hole through his shirt.

he clears his throat nervously as you retract your hand and he misses the searing heat of your skin almost immediately, itching to just grab your wrist and place your hand back. but he doesn’t, because he respects you too much. he loves you too much.

“to apologize,” he finally admits, feeling the heat you’d gifted him moving up from his chest to his cheeks. “i-“ he tries to breath, to remember the apology he’d been practicing in his mind, but it’s so much harder when you’re actually in front of him. your eyes, just as they had in the cafe before his outburst, make him feel exposed, sensitive. “i’m sorry for getting mad at you, i shouldn’t have said what i did,” he’s able to continue, trying hard to return your gaze so that you may be able to spot the sincerity in this apology just as you had his last. “i didn’t mean those things. i was,” he pauses, knowing this is the point in which he could still turn around, pretend that he wasn’t upset for the reasons he was, and so he pushes through anyway. “i was angry at myself and you were just who i could take it out on. you didn’t deserve that, i’m sorry.”

he searches your face for any change, desperate to see your usual expression replace the frown you sported and smooth out the current crease between your brows, and when your face doesn’t change he’s once again tempted to reach out to you. he wants to just take your face into his hands, to gently message the tension from your temples and to place a gentle peck to the tip of your nose in hopes that he might get to see your smile up close once more before you might just vanish from his life forever.

but instead he keeps his hands firmly at his sides and says, “i wish i could take it all back.”

“all of it?” you ask quickly, your voice practically overlapping his own, and your expression does shift but wooyoung can’t make out the difference.

neither of you speak then for what feels like an hour, your eyes determinedly set on his while you let wooyoung’s gaze flit along your face, trying to find his answer amongst your features, before he closes his eyes with a wobbly sigh.

“i don’t want to stop loving you,” he says, eyes still closed, “but i have to.”

he can feel his chest caving in, the emptiness he’d started calling home consuming him from the inside out as he finally says what he’d been teetering on the edge of admitting for the last month.

“who told you that?” you question and if wooyoung could bare to open his eyes and actually look at you instead of finding cowardly safety behind his eyelids he is sure you would be wearing the same look of frustration he’s seen directed at him so many times before. although now he knows that it doesn’t carry the same playfulness that usually makes him so endeared, the sparkle in your eye that encourages him to bring out that same look more and more.

wooyoung lets out a humorless chuckle, shoulders dropping heavily as he becomes hyper aware of the way he’s been tensing his entire body. “no one,” he says before scrunching up his face in hopes that it will quiet the urge for him to open his eyes and see your face once more. “everyone.”

he hears you let out a huff before you comment, almost indignantly, “well i didn’t get a say.”

wooyoung can’t recall a time he’s opened his eyes faster, tenderness quickly replacing the shock he’d felt when he sees you once more, your gaze now firmly set on the cup wooyoung had placed on yeosang’s desk and arms crossed over your chest, a pout on your lips. he feels the corners of his own lips ticking up in a fond smile.

“so,” he begins to ask, a hint of playfulness coloring his tone as he feels hope build inside of him, “what do you think i should do?”

he’s not sure if you were expecting his eyes to still be closed but as you bring your gaze back to wooyoung’s face he feels like he can easily spot a hint of nervousness beneath your determined expression. you both find yourself in silence once more, this time he’s the one to hold firm, your gaze now traveling along his skin.

“i love you.”

he’s sure if he was any farther from you that he wouldn’t have been able to hear it, the words flowing along an exhale.

“what was that?” he asks, unable to contain the smile that overtakes his features, and he half expects for you to take it back playfully, to mess around with him, but then he watches as a determined smirk creeps onto your face.

“i said,” you start, leaning impossibly closer and placing your hand onto the same spot on his chest as you had earlier. “i love you.”

your lips are on his in an instant, almost imperceptible, the gentlest brush of skin, but wooyoung can feel it.

“i love you too,” he whispers against your lips before one of his hands moves to the back of your neck, the other wrapping around your wrist as he pulls you back into him.

of all the times he’d imagined kissing you, it was nothing like he expected, your lips remaining gentle against his no matter how passionate he became, and wooyoung knew instantly that he was already addicted. he was so utterly consumed by you, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“your drink, my love,” wooyoung says, placing a cup down on the table as he takes the seat next to you, his own coffee in his hands, while he places a gentle kiss against your temple.

“gross,” yeosang comments, watching you both from across the table before taking another bite of his macaron.

“yeah,” hongjoong agrees from his seat on your other side. “i didn’t realize that you two getting together meant we would have to watch you both all over each other all the damn time,” he complains as his boyfriend rolls his eyes on the other side of the table.

wooyoung ignores his older friends in favor of grabbing one of the legs of your chair, pulling you toward him so that he can more easily rest his head against your shoulder. he smirks against your skin as he feels a shudder run down your spine when he turns his head to press his lips into the crook of your neck.

you and wooyoung are gathered with a few of your friends in the same cafe that set everything into motion, your favorite place, enjoying your first quiet afternoon as an official couple.

“come on, i think they’re cute,” mingi says, looking between yeosang and hongjoong, who both exchange disgusted looks.

you chuckle, the sound light and airy, making wooyoung’s heart float as he feels the vibrations through his own chest.

“thank you mingi,” you say with a hint of finality, ready for the attention to be away from you two.

you’re thankful that the conversation drifts into a new direction, yeosang mentioning something about the latest star wars movie and sending seonghwa into a spiral about his thoughts and opinions.

“thank you,” wooyoung whispers, lifting his head from your shoulder before resting it on his hand, his elbow propped on the table in front of you.

you send him a confused look, tilting your head gently, but with the way he stares at you, overwhelmed with devotion, you can’t keep a tender smile from gracing your features. “for what?”

“forgiving me,” he elaborates, taking your hand in his.

for a minute you simply bask in the genuine warmth of the moment, watching the way his gaze shifts to your hand as he starts to play with your fingers gently. you’re tempted to bring his own hand up to your lips and let the whole situation stay genuine, but you just can’t keep from teasing.

“who says i forgave you?”

wooyoung is quick to look back up at your face, eyes wide with worry as he lifts his head from his hand, now using both of his hands to hold one of yours. you watch the worry melt away as a pout takes over his features, seeing the playful smirk on your own.

you can hear the whine building in his throat before he even opens his mouth, your gentle giggles matching his volume. “babe,” he groans, dropping his shoulders as he pulls your hand against his chest.

once you’ve calmed down enough from your giggle fit, you reach the hand he’s not holding up to hold his face, watching with adoration as he turns his head to press his lips into your palm before he leans fully into your touch.

as you both sit, just savoring the moment, wooyoung can’t help but reflect on how you both ended up here. so, as he falls deeper into his romantic haze, he can’t help but let you know, “i love to love you.”

↼ ateez masterlist

note so hi, i’m alive. this was just something i wrote for fun recently and now i guess i write for ateez. anyway, hope you enjoyed

let me know what you think?

１２:４５

ᵖᵃⁱʳⁱⁿᵍˢ: ʷᵒᵒʸᵒᵘⁿᵍ ˣ ᶠᵉᵐ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ

ᵍᵉⁿʳᵉ: ᵃⁿᵍˢᵗ, ᶠˡᵘᶠᶠ

ʷᵒʳᵈ ᶜᵒᵘⁿᵗ: 1.4ᵏ

ʷᵃʳⁿⁱⁿᵍˢ: ᶜᵒᵘᵖˡᵉ ᵃʳᵍᵘᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ, ᵈⁱˢᵃᵍʳᵉᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗˢ, ˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ ᵍⁱᵛⁱⁿᵍ, ᵃᵛᵒⁱᵈⁱⁿᵍ, ᵈʳⁱⁿᵏⁱⁿᵍ, ᵗᵉᵐᵖᵉʳ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉ, ᵘᵖˢᵉᵗᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵃˡᵏ, ᶜᵘʳˢⁱⁿᵍ, ˢˡⁱᵍʰᵗ ʰᵉᵃᵛʸ ᵏⁱˢˢⁱⁿᵍ, ᵐᵉⁿᵗⁱᵒⁿˢ ᵒᶠ ᵈʳⁱⁿᵏⁱⁿᵍ

ˢʸⁿᵒᵖˢⁱˢ: ᵃᶠᵗᵉʳ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵒᵒʸᵒᵘⁿᵍ ᵍᵒᵗ ⁱⁿᵗᵒ ᵃ ʰᵉᵃᵗᵉᵈ ᵃʳᵍᵘᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ ʷʰⁱˡᵉ ʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ ᵒᵛᵉʳ, ⁱᵗ ᵉⁿᵈᵉᵈ ʷⁱᵗʰ ʰⁱᵐ ˢᵗᵒʳᵐⁱⁿᵍ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵃᵖᵃʳᵗᵐᵉⁿᵗ, ᵃᶠᵗᵉʳ ʸᵒᵘ ʳᵉᵃˡⁱᶻᵉᵈ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵐⁱˢᵗᵃᵏᵉ, ʸᵒᵘ ᵠᵘⁱᶜᵏˡʸ ᵃᵗᵗᵉᵐᵖᵗᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᶜᵃˡˡ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵇᵒʸᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈ ᵒⁿˡʸ ᵗᵒ ᵉⁿᵈ ᵘᵖ ᵈᵉᶜˡⁱⁿᵉᵈ ᵒʳ ᵘⁿᵗᵉⁿᵈᵉᵈ, ᵒⁿˡʸ ᵗᵒ ʳᵉᵃˡⁱᶻᵉ ʰᵉ ʷᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᵇᵉ ᵖⁱᶜᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ.

ᵃᵘᵗʰᵒʳˢ ⁿᵒᵗᵉ: ⁱ ʰᵃᵛᵉⁿ'ᵗ ʷʳⁱᵗᵗᵉⁿ ᵃⁿʸᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰⁱˢ ʷᵃˢ ⁱⁿ ᵐʸ ᵈʳᵃᶠᵗˢ, ˢᵒʳʳʸ ᶠᵒʳ ˢᵒ ᵐᵘᶜʰ ᵃᵗᵉᵉᶻ, ⁱⁿˢᵖⁱʳᵉᵈ ᵇʸ ʷᵒᵒʸᵒᵘⁿᵍ'ˢ ᶜᵒᵛᵉʳ ᵒᶠ ᵉᵗʰᵃᵐ'ˢ ¹²:⁴⁵.

September 9th, Tuesday, 12:40 AM.

Wooyoung was walking along the breeze of the sidewalk, looking out into the water’s darkness, building lights off and the city sounding peacefully quiet.

Dark clouds that were barely visible in the sky, and the only audible noise being that of the light breeze that pushed against the trees.

feeling awfully calm after everything that just happened, annoyance and anger brushing away from his mind.

Stopping for a moment and looked down at his pocket, the only light source was that of his phone. He sighed, grabbing his phone from his pocket and dismissing the call.

He was tired of all the calls he had received that night. After all, he didn't feel in the right mood to answer correctly, he knew he was just gonna be a jerk to anyone who was on the other side of the phone.

Among checking the time on his brightened phone screen, he read 12:43.

It was time to go home, and he knew it, but he wouldn't be at peace yet.

Wooyoung and you had gotten into a bit of an argument, it went from a little chat to full on screams. Although you and Wooyoung had argued before, it had never gotten so bad to the point that he left your apartment before you got to say anything.

This was the first time you both went full on yells, first time one of you left before you could make up. Everything on his mind was so blurry that he couldn't remember the last thing he said before storming out.

But he could remember your words clear as day.

Part of him felt guilty… for yelling at you the way he did, for losing his temper the way he did, for not understanding your way of thought.

He couldn't be at ease with himself until he apologized, and of course, he needed an apology too. Your argument in general seemed silly, but at one point it just became a load of insults, which was when he lost it completely.

All of a sudden, he spotted a small light in the distance. It was a small bar at the end of the street, he'd been there a few times with San, enough to know that it was only ever busy during the early hours of the night.

Although he didn't have the intention of getting drunk, he decided it would be helpful to have a drink or two, everything that he remembered was bothering him, and he wanted to spend time in a silent, secluded area where he wouldn't run into anyone.

Wooyoung entered the small building, the bar was empty except for the bartender, who automatically noticed Wooyoung’s tired and exhausted expression, he could tell he had cried for a few minutes.

“What would you like?” Wooyoung sat down on the counter, and looked at the bartender.

“Just one shot for now.” The bartender nodded, and served him his drink.

“Anything you'd like to share?” The bartender sounded quite sincere, and concerned for him, Wooyoung shaked his head.

“Just normal partner arguments.” The bartender nodded.

“Even those can affect someone badly, it might just be a normal part of relationships but to some it's really serious.”

Wooyoung, again, just nodded.

“I can tell you really love your girlfriend.” Wooyoung drank his glass and placed it on the table.

“More than anything.”

Right that instant, another call rang… the phone which was on the table laying flat, lit up and buzzed as the incoming call rang.

“♡ Yn ♡”

The bartender looked at Wooyoung, already knowing that it was his girlfriend, Wooyoung who was looking back at him, quickly looked back at his phone screen and moved his finger to the decline button.

The bartender quickly looked back up at Wooyoung in shock.

“You can pick up! You probably need it right now…”

“She’s been calling me nonstop, I just need a break.”

The bartender leaned back from his tense position, bringing his arms back down to their original state.

“What-?” Wooyoung scooted his glass over, while leaning on the table.

“I love her… but I just need tonight off.” Wooyoung got up from his seat, and pushed his chair in.

“Thanks for the chat. I hope you have a lovely night.”

The bartender watched him as he left. “Yes, of course.. you too.”

After his visit, he went back home, and finally got some rest. However the next morning he woke up early, took a shower and made his way to your apartment.

“Coming!” The scream of your lovely voice echoed through your room, he couldn't help but smile at your rushed self who continued dropping things on the way to the door.

He saw the familiar decorations start coming into view, the same lights he saw yesterday, the same kitchen, the same hallway, and best of all, the same face.

“Wooyoung!” You gasped, almost not believe your eyes upon seeing him in front of your room.

“I thought you were upset..” you said lowly, almost inaudible.

“We need to talk.” the words coming out of Wooyoung’s mouth was one of the scariest things you could hear. Things started circling in your head, was this the end of your relationship? Was this the end of your memories together?

“Stop overthinking. I'm not breaking up with you.”

He welcomed himself in your apartment, you turned around in shock, if he wanted to visit he should've told you in advance.

“Wooyoung, unless you wanna wait then get out, I'm leaving for work.”

“Cancel it.” You turned around, trying to control yourself from saying something nasty to your boyfriend.

“I can't -”

“Do you wanna make up or make money? Your choice.”

You bit your lip at the question, trying to find an answer to give him, something that wouldn't sound rude.

“I’m visiting you right now because I have time. I'll be busy for a while, so we either make up or end it now.”

Stumbling over your words, you barely got out your sentence starter, before you were able to ask:

“Why break up??”

Wooyoung turned to face you again with a confused expression..

“Because we'll technically be in an argument for a really long time, since I won't see you in a few months.”

“And we have to break up because of a stupid tour?”

“And you can't talk because of your stupid job?”

Wooyoung stood over you, his normal joking pitch was gone, he began to sound angry. You pushed his last button and you knew it.

“I’m sorry, I know these tours are important to you, I didn't think twice about my words just now.”

“Forget it, if I can't communicate with you then it's ove-”

“Don't say that please…” He squeezed his eyes shut while hearing your saddened voice. You were about to cry and it was his fault.

He promised he would never make you cry, and here he was carelessly threatening you.

“I'm sorry, I couldn't break up with you even if I tried, please don't cry.” He pulled you into a hug, grabbing his hoodie and attempting to be strong, holding your tears and not allowing him to see your weak side.

“I hate you so much…” Wooyoung let out a small chuckle and held you tighter.

“No you don't… I can be a jerk… but you could never.”

You hit him, it was your way of saying ‘shut up’ to him, all he did was laugh a bit, while pulling your face from your hidden state and bringing you in front of him.

It was unexpected, you felt his lips touch yours in a warm manner, the innocent kiss soon became wet, and getting more aggressive.

It would've escalated if you hadn't pushed him away.

“Why now? Weren't you just threatening me?”

“You know I didn't mean it… this is my way of telling you that I still love you, that will never change…”

part 1 | part 2

You're running as fast as you can, feeling your heart pound in your chest. But no matter how hard you try, it's like your lungs just can't grab enough air. You're on the verge of collapsing, but you fight against it because you know that if you do, the creature chasing you will catch up. You try to move quietly, not wanting to draw any more attention from the zombies, the one trailing behind you is more than enough to handle.

You swiftly dart into an alley, the chill hitting you as you slide under a beat-up Ford, hoping the zombie isn't clever enough to figure out how to wriggle in and grab you. With your palms pressed against your mouth, you stifle your sobs, stealing glances as the zombie's body lunges violently at the car, its desperate cries and growls piercing the air as it searches for you.

You remain there, tears streaming down the sides of your temples, praying that it doesn't locate you. It feels like hours, but it's probably only been a few minutes, before the creature loses interest and sets off to hunt down another victim elsewhere.

You shut your eyes, allowing the tears to trickle down your cheeks, relishing this brief respite. You know better than to venture out of your hiding spot now; it would be a foolish move. The zombie might still be lurking nearby, and you're utterly spent, devoid of the energy to flee once more. Your legs feel distant, except for the persistent throbbing in your thighs. Glancing to the side, you catch sight of a distant silhouette at the mouth of the alley. Your lip quivers as you pray it's not another monster. You focus on steadying your breath, doing your utmost not to draw any attention, until the walkie-talkie strapped to your waist crackles to life, Wooyoung's voice inquiring about your whereabouts and whether you were able to secure the meds you sought.

Frantically, you fumble with the device, attempting to silence it, smash it, anything to no avail, as the zombie has already caught wind of the noise. A searing shriek escapes you as it homes in on your position with alarming speed. Fear overwhelms you, making it impossible to stifle your cries as you try to scramble away from the relentless advance of the oncoming undead.

You cry as you try to move but the zombie is already there, having ran so fast, it fell, which conveniently helped it get to you easier. You struggle against the relentless grip of the zombie, which had managed to reach you despite its fall. A piercing shriek escapes your lips as its bloodied hand seizes your boot, refusing to release its hold, overpowering your feeble attempts to break free. The creature's ghastly appearance sends shivers down your spine, its face a distorted mask of veins snaking through its cheeks to its pitch-black eyes. Smudges of blood and shreds of flesh cling to its decaying teeth, intensifying the nausea already roiling within you.

With a horrifying tug, it secures its grip on your ankle, your skin brushing against its own causing you to cry out even louder, the mere thought of a scratch sealing your fate—infected. The monster echoes your cries with its own guttural growls, hauling you closer with an inhuman force. You resign yourself to the belief that this is the end, that you will meet your demise here. It's over. You're dead.

Yet, just as despair settles in, something yanks the zombie by its legs, pulling it out from beneath the car. In a fleeting moment, you witness a knife thrusting into the creature's skull.

Through your tear-blurred vision, you spot Wooyoung kneeling before you, frantically scanning beneath the car, his disheveled appearance adding an unexpected allure. Specks of blood dot his face, his tousled hair falling across his eyes, a glistening sheen of sweat adorning his flushed cheeks. You sob uncontrollably as he tugs you into his embrace, pulling you out from your hiding place.

As you collapse into his lap, your tears dampening the nape of his neck, he holds you tightly, his broad palm cradling your head, drawing you nearer to him, while his other arm encircles your waist. He sways gently, murmuring reassurances about how you're okay and safe, about how he's not going to let anything hurt you, about how he's sorry, about how he should've been next to you and vows to never leave your side again.

His whispered words of comfort soothe your racing heart, calming the storm within you as you cling to him, finding solace in the warmth of his embrace, the assurance of his protective presence.

He eases you back slightly, his gaze fixated on your face as his hands tenderly sweep away the disheveled strands, tucking them behind your ears to better take in your features. Lowering his head to yours, his forehead presses gently against yours, your breaths mingling in the stillness, the world around you fading into the background as you share a moment of intimacy amidst the desolation of the city.

Guiding your chin with a gentle touch, he guides your lips to meet his in a languid kiss, his tongue delicately tracing the outline of your chapped lips, coaxing you to open them. You allow his tongue to slip past, a gentle dance commencing as it caresses yours, each movement tender and deliberate, creating a rhythm that speaks of both longing and relief. This delicate exchange continues, a cherished connection that speaks volumes in its simplicity and depth.

As you both part, Wooyoung helps you to your feet, planting a soft kiss on your forehead before leading you deeper into the city, glock in hand, toward the refuge of a random apartment, your own little sanctuary.

"Let's go pretty girl, I found some canned peaches, we're gonna eat good tonight"

masterlist | taglist in comments | feedback is appreciated :)

part 1 | part 2

"Let's go pretty girl, I found some canned peaches, we're gonna eat good tonight"

The sound of footsteps echoed through the ruined streets of the city, broken by the occasional shriek and howl of the undead as they roamed aimlessly. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting an eerie orange glow on everything it touched, highlighting the dust that had collected.

You nod silently, allowing Wooyoung to lead you back into the zombie-infested city, your heart still pounding in your chest from the encounter. His words offer a small distraction, and you cling to them as you follow him, taking comfort in his presence.

As you walk, Wooyoung keeps a watchful eye around him, glock in hand, ready to defend at a moment's notice. You manage a small tired smile, grateful.

The journey to the apartment feels like an eternity, as if time itself has slowed down to a crawl in the face of the horror surrounding you. But finally, after what feels like hours, you reach the building, and Wooyoung leads you to a ground-floor apartment.

As you approach the portal, you feel a familiar sense of relief wash over you. You know you're safe for now, at least for as long as Wooyoung is by your side. You enter the apartment, and he locks the door vigilantly, knowing it is the only thing between you and what lurks outside.

Inside, the apartment is dark and dusty, everything covered in a thin layer of grime. Wooyoung sets down his bag and begins rummaging through it, pulling out cans of peaches and a few other items he's gathered.

You take a seat on the worn couch, a soft sigh leaving your mouth. Wooyoung turns on a small, battery-powered lamp, casting a muted light on the room. He begins to fix a simple meal of canned peaches and other rations, placing the food on a certainly-not-sanitary plate.

He hands you a can opener, and you can't help but notice his hands shaking slightly. Despite your situation, you feel a pang of worry for him; he's fighting his own battle even as he tries to keep you safe. You reach out to grab his hand instead of the can opener and drop a small kiss on his knuckle, a silent way to thank him.

With Wooyoung's help, you manage to open the can of peaches, and he scoops the contents onto a plate. He serves you first, offering the food with a gentleness that belies the harsh circumstances.

“Come sit next to me,” you mumble, a shy look on your face. You don't like how he's sitting on the floor, feeling bad for his tired body.

As you take your second bite, he joins you, sitting next to you, silent for the most part, but his eyes never leave you. Once he's done with his part of the meal, he manages to pull you on his lap, nuzzling his face in your neck. You can sense the weight of his responsibility, and it makes your heart ache for him.

"Wooyoung," you whisper, your voice barely audible against the backdrop of the isolation.

He hums in response, his breath warm against your neck. His fingers interwoven with yours, grounding you in the grim reality that lies beyond the dimly lit room. You feel the rise and fall of his chest beneath you; a comforting rhythm that soothes your anxiety.

"I...," Your sentence trails off unfinished, but he seems to understand, pressing a reassuring kiss to your hairline. You feel like a burden.

"Sshh," he murmurs, his voice no louder than a whisper. "You don't need to say anything." Feeling the vibrations of his voice against your ear, you let out a soft sigh of contentment. For a moment, there is silence. The only sounds are of your synchronized breathing and the faint rustle of cloth as Wooyoung tightens his hold on you.

"I'm grateful," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "Grateful I found you." You turn slightly to look at him, your eyes locking onto his. You can see a glint of something in his deep brown eyes. Vulnerability? No, it was more than that. It was love.

His confession hangs in the air like a well-spun web, delicate and intricate. A few moments pass before you respond, bringing up a hand to gently brush away a loose strand from his face.

"I'm grateful too..." you murmur back, meeting his intense gaze with a sincere one of your own, "more than you know."

Wooyoung's full lips, slightly parted and glistening, gently press against yours. His eyes are closed, his face relaxed and full of tenderness. His lips are warm and slightly salty, the taste of the peaches lingering on your tongue. The soft sound of his breath as he kisses you, the slight smack of his lips, all combine to the quiet hum of contentment coming from deep in his throat.

The taste of him overwhelms your senses, locking your attention solely on him, and you find yourself lost in the affection. You offer no resistance as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss, pulling you closer into his embrace.

As you lean back, his grip tightens and he lets out a low moan of protest. Unable to let you go, he pulls you towards him, his lips moving against yours with a near aggressive drive.

Half-lidded eyes meet yours and in them, you see your own feelings mirrored back at you — raw, profound, and endless,

“I love you.”

masterlist | taglist in comments | feedback is appreciated :)

seni oilai

♔ pairing: servent! j.wy x queen! reader

♔ genre: smut, angst

♔ wc: 2.5k

♔ content: royalty au, sexual servitude, fingering, nipple play, penetration, lots of teasing, unsaid feelings, secret established relationship

♔ a/n: no read more tab because tumblr hates me :/

The bathroom ceiling was decorated with beautiful and intricate designs, all handpainted by the Royal family’s personal painter. You’ve been told that the painter had spent days lying on his back to make the scenery that currently overlooked your bathtub. The inspiration came from the first spring after the long, brutal, and deadly winter your Kingdom endured many years ago. Your eyes followed the swells of white clouds that stretched over the light blue paint and the flocks of birds that stretched their wings and embraced the rebirth of warmth and beauty. Of course, that was just what the painter pictured it to be. But to you, the painting was nothing but a cruel reminder of what you could never have. You stared up at this grand ceiling from your bathtub every night, growing sick from the constant reminder that you were stuck. You felt like a bird being held prisoner in its cage, forced to look at everyone else flap their wings and fly away from this godforsaken place.

After the untimely death of your parents, and there being no male heirs to the throne, the Court decided with great hesitation to pass the crown down to you. No one wanted a girl Queen. Just the thought of you as a ruler gave the Kingdom great anxiety. A girl Queen meant a vulnerable Kingdom, and no one was equipped to handle an invasion. Understanding this sentiment at such a young age, you made it your duty to prove everyone wrong. You wanted to show them that you were capable, if not more capable than your father, of being a leader. Even with your accomplishments at peace and prosperity during your years of reign, that sentiment remained unchanged. You learned that no matter what you did, no one would take you seriously as Queen. And with that, your efforts faltered and you went on autopilot.

There were whispers in the court about an unnamed Prince who was interested in her Royal Highness. The lone Prince was said to have been planning to propose to you and merge both Kingdoms under one rule. The Court took a likeness to the idea. You were bombarded by them, along with the Chief Minister to at least consider marrying him. There were too many reasons not to say no: More land, financial security, and of course, more respect and stability with a man by your side. It amazed you just how much they trusted and respected someone they barely knew all because he had a dick.

You sunk yourself lower into the bath, resting your achy neck on the edge of the tub. You were under a lot of stress tonight after the Chief Minister announced to you that he invited this bachelor for you to meet tomorrow. You were angry, of course, but you were used to him doing things behind your back like this. He was a good friend to your father and looked to advise you as best as he could. But sometimes, he made you feel like you had no say in anything you did. You were just the face of the Kingdom, a puppet for him to puppeteer. As much as you wanted to fight it, you knew that at the end of the day, he would get his way and you will have to walk down that aisle sooner or later.

Honestly, there was no reason to be bothered by this in the first place. Being Queen was a difficult task. To have someone else take the wheel would be a godsend, and could finally take some stress off your shoulders. So why were you so upset?

Your thoughts were interrupted as you heard the bathroom doors open and shut from behind you, followed by a hesitant few steps forward. You knew exactly who it was from his timid footsteps.

“You’re late.” You sighed in exasperation. Shutting your eyes, you sunk yourself even deeper into the water, sending some bubbles to splash out from the tub.

“I know. I apologize, Your Majesty.” After a beat of silence, Wooyoung walked over to the bathtub. Your eyes were still shut but you knew he was hovering over you now, most likely with a playful grin, with his hands tucked neatly behind his back as he obediently awaited his next order. However, when you fluttered your eyes open, you were met with the sight of your humble servant gazing down at you with a look of concern. It always amazed you just how beautiful he looked wearing any emotion- anger, sadness, contentment- it was worth more to look at than the eyesore that took over your bathroom ceiling. But of course, your favorite look on him was the look of lust. His half-lidded eyes, rosy cheeks, and parted lips while you sank down his length- that was a sight worth looking at.

“I won’t be needing you tonight. I’ll be retiring to my chambers soon. You should do the same.” You closed your eyes again and waited to hear his footsteps trail away. But he didn’t move.

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

You wished he’d just obey and leave you alone. When you two first started, it was supposed to be just a physical relationship. But now it was intimate in a way that you never intended. And you worried if maybe he was too emotionally attached to you. Or maybe it was you that was attached to him.

“Everything’s fine.” You prayed that was sufficient, but to your dismay, Wooyoung wasn’t satisfied and he took it upon himself to sit on the edge of the tub and quietly wait for you to tell him what was really wrong.

“Wooyoung,” you whined, “I’m just tired. That’s all.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Are you calling your Queen a liar? I’m pretty sure that’s treason.”

Your quick-witted reply earned you a chuckle and you were relieved to see him soften his expression for once that night. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” Wooyoung dipped his hand into the warm bath water and traced his fingertips up your thigh. You bit back a moan as his hand inched closer to your bare heat. “But at least let me help you relieve some stress.”

Wooyoung rubbed your inner thigh and waited for you to part your legs. Hesitating at first, you eventually obliged and spread yourself open for him. He made an experimental swipe over your slit which already had you rolling your eyes back. He spread your lips apart, pouting when he saw your aching clit.

“You spend all day taking care of this Kingdom, but who takes care of you?” He poked. It drove you mad when he spoke to you like this, a soft and barely audible whisper like he didn’t want to talk over your moans. After massaging over your clit, he slid his fingers down to your entrance and pushed two fingers inside of you, smiling to himself as he watched you struggle to hold in your gasps.

“Wooyoung!” You gripped his forearm tightly as he pumped his digits in and out of you. His pace was unforgiving and you tried desperately to hold on and control his movements. But Wooyoung was pissed and there was no way to tame him when he was like this. He didn’t like when you kept things from him. He knew you were hiding something and he doesn’t particularly like being out of the loop.

“Shh..” he cooed, “just relax and let me take care of you.”

He began curling his fingers inside of you, and this time you weren’t able to hold in your moans. You were usually good at keeping quiet, afraid of nosy servants hearing what you were up to and spreading rumors that you took a lowborn as a lover. But Wooyoung thought if he couldn’t get you to talk about what’s bothering you, then he deserved to hear your loud and delicious moans as a replacement.

“Too fast…gonna cum” you squealed, sending more water out from the bathtub as you jolted your hips up and down.

“Already?” He grinned. “I barely even started.”

You opened your mouth to tell him to stop teasing, but the feeling of his thumb pressing over your needy clit took the words right out of your mouth. One hand gripped the bathtub, while the other was still holding onto his chiseled arm. Heat pooled in your lower stomach and Wooyoung could tell that it would only take another couple of pumps before you came undone for him. As much as you loved his skilled fingers swirling over your clit, you didn’t want to finish so quickly and go back to another night of sleepless worry. You grabbed onto his hand to stop him from going any further.

“Not like this” you breathed. Wooyoung smirked, his fingers still deep inside of you.

“No? Then how would you like me, My Queen?”

“You know your place.” You pulled your legs up to your chest, hinting at him to get in with you. Nothing else was said as he quickly unclothed himself before slipping into the bath. Before you could climb over him, you took some time to admire how heavenly he looked right now: Wet hair slicked back with a few strands kissing at his forehead, and the way his collarbones glistened from being in the bubbly water. Wooyoung was second to none, incomparable to even the richest of Kings. You never admitted it to him, but sometimes you imagined him in a crown sitting beside you on the throne. Anyone who saw him wouldn’t second guess that he belonged up there with you.

You straddled over him now, taking him into your hands to help him get ready for you. He kissed down your neck before making home on your breast, rubbing his lips gently over your nipples. They were more sensitive and raised now from being in the water for so long, and Wooyoung took advantage of that. He took your bud into his mouth as you stroked his stiff cock, the vibrations from his moans sending goosebumps all over your skin.

Wooyoung took his cock from you and lined himself up with your core. You let out a string of low and shaky moans, waiting for the moment that he’d finally enter and fuck all the useless thoughts out of your head. But Wooyoung had no intention of giving you what you wanted. Instead, he rubbed his tip along your slit in an agonizingly slow tempo, carefully brushing over your clit as he did so.

“Woo…please, can’t wait any longer.”

He looked up at you with hazy eyes, waiting for you to make eye contact with him. But you couldn’t get yourself to look him in the eye. “First tell me what’s on your mind.”He demanded.

You sighed, unhappy when you understood that he wasn’t going to give you what you wanted unless you confessed. But the truth was, you yourself weren’t sure what was bothering you. You just knew that you wanted to see him tonight and have him close. Part of you worried it would be the last time.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

He sprayed your chest with soft kisses, speaking into your skin in a low voice. “Don’t play dumb. I’ve known you long enough to know when something’s wrong.” He was circling his tip over your clit now. He knew it drove you crazy, all this stimulation when all you wanted was to feel full from his cock.

“Wooyoung.” You hated begging. You hated that he wouldn’t give you what you wanted, but you were too under his spell to do anything about it other than whine pathetically as he toyed with you like this.

Wooyoung only hummed in response, lips still nipping at your sore breasts. At first, you thought he finally gave up when you felt him push his tip into your entrance. You held onto his shoulders and anticipated the stretch but the anticipation soon turned to frustration once he pulled out, leaving you feeling empty again.

Defeated, your face fell to the crook of his neck and you groaned in annoyance. “I should just have you beheaded.”

He chuckled into your ear. “Then who’ll make you cum?”

Wooyoung continued on with his game, pushing just the tip into you before pulling himself back out. So many thoughts raced over your head, some making sense, some not, but one thing was for sure and that was that you couldn’t bare to go on like this anymore.

“It’s you!” You admitted. “You’re always on my mind and I’m so tired of it! I hate you for making me feel this way, if I could go back in time I would stop myself from ever getting involved with you! Now will you just shut up and obey me for once?!”

Wooyoung was utterly dumbfounded. Although he understood that the true nature of your relationship was purely sexual servitude, he couldn’t deny that he’d often wondered if you, like him, felt something more. After thinking it over, he understood your frustrations. He had heard the rumors about the proposal. He tried not to take it personally. He knew where he stood in this relationship. Being a Royal was stressful as it was, and it was his job to offer some much needed stress relief to the Queen. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel a little depressed after hearing of your coming marriage.

Now that he knew your true feelings, Wooyoung thought about asking you to run away with him and finally free yourselves from this cage. But he also knew where your loyalties lie, and they were tightly knotted within this Kingdom. He wished you knew that his loyalties laid with you. If he told you, would it make a difference? He wondered.

He had so much he wanted to say. But he knew in the end that nothing could be done in your situation. In an effort to make things easier, he decided to finally do as he was asked and help you forget about your troubles- as well as his. Giving you that boyish smirk of his, he lined himself up with your core once again.

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

With your slit covered in anticipation, and with the bath water around you, he slipped into you with ease. Both of you moaned once he bottomed out. You stayed still, connecting your lips with his, sharing the same hunger he had for you with him. His hands fell to your hips and he guided you over his shaft. The pace was slow but perfect. You didn’t want to finish so quickly, wishing to savor every bit of him for as long as you could. But all the moaning, kissing, touching, as well as having your bud being rubbed against his abs every time you came up and down his length made it impossible to stall your release.

When you were both done you remained as you were in the bathtub with your head laying against his chest whine he traced his fingers up and down your spine. He let you play with his other fingers as you both came down from your highs. You thought his fingers were still pretty even though they were all pruny from the extended time in the water. “In another life, I would’ve.” You broke the silence. You said it so quietly that you worried if he heard you or not. You didn’t think you had it in you to say it again.

Wooyoung sighed, taking a break from tracing your back to just stay still and hold you. He wondered what awful thing he did in his past life to be born as a servant. But there was nothing either of you could do about it now, other than to enjoy the night before you two went back to being strangers in the morning.

“In another life.” He agreed.

🎧 seni oilai- ALPHA

Clockwork

University AU - angst with a happy ending, best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers

Pairing: Jung Wooyoung x Female Reader (ft. Yeonjun of TXT x Reader)

Synopsis: Being best friends with Jung Wooyoung was everything you could imagine. That is, until you catch feelings for him. Now, you navigate a heartbreak minus the rejection, and Wooyoung doesn’t seem to like it.

WC: 8.7k

Content/Warnings: mentions of scars, subtle hints of disassociation in the beginning, mentions of spiraling, one harassment scene. less serious stuff —> making out, somewhat possessive!Wooyoung(not toxic), Wooyoung gets jealous:>, kind of idiots to lovers. kind of slow burn. apologies for any typos I’m afraid I can’t re read this even one more time

the hollow feeling in your chest eats at you while you lay on your couch, snuggled in a blanket clad in one of Wooyoung’s soft grey hoodies. you pull the hood up over your head and stare at the chipped paint on the wall.

would you ever find someone who loved you enough? someone who would stick by you after seeing you at your worst; someone who would kiss the scars on your body and reassure you when you got insecure. someone who would look at you with overwhelming love and whisper I love you between kisses on your skin.

you wanted it to be Wooyoung. god, you wanted him to love you like that, but Wooyoung has only ever looked at you like his best friend. and you should be thankful for that, after all, you were so incredibly lucky to be close to Wooyoung, able to receive the intense amount of love and care he has to offer.

but you can’t help but feel selfish and wish for more.

a knock on your door pulls you from your spiraling. you allow yourself to stare into nothingness for a second longer before pulling yourself together and getting up to open the door.

the winter breeze feels crisp against your bare legs. you look up to see who’s visited you so late, and there he is; dressed in baggy jeans and a black tee shirt layered with a jacket much too large for him, there was Wooyoung. your Wooyoung.

well, in your dreams anyway.

you’re once again pulled out of your spiraling when he calls out to you with that irritatingly gentle, yet teasing voice of his, “Y/n? Are you gonna let me in?” and suddenly you’re back to reality.

the cold night air brushes against your skin again, goosebumps arising in their wake; a reminder of how cold Wooyoung must be.

you roll your eyes and smile, grabbing Wooyoung's arm and pulling him in. he lets you lock the door before engulfing you in a hug. you inhale softly at the smell of his subtle cologne and wrap your arms around his back, shutting your eyes and allowing yourself the selfishness of wanting him close. but he breaks the hug a moment later, looking at you with that maddening smile and you feel yourself relax in his presence.

“So, what’re we watching?” he asks lightly, pulling your arm towards the couch as if he lives there. and he might as well, with how often he sleeps over. he removes his jacket, throwing it on the couch before sitting down. you struggle to not ogle his arms, “Nothing, actually.”

you plop down on the couch next to him, an unfamiliar distance between the two of you. you hope he won’t notice, but Wooyoung looks at you with an unreadable expression as he observes the space.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly, serious eyes boring into yours.

of course, he noticed immediately, you think fondly. “I’m just tired, honestly. but let’s watch something?” you smile, trying to change the subject.

Wooyoung lets it go, but only after squinting his eyes and moving closer to you. you sigh when his shoulder touches yours, craving the skinship yet hating yourself for it.

Wooyoung decides on a random movie, and while you were distracted throughout the film, your eyes immediately snap to his phone when a notification pops up. Wooyoung picks it up, swipes to open the message, and text back.

you force yourself not to check who he’s texting and speak casually, “What is it?”

he glances up at you before looking down and shutting his phone off, “Just Miyu, she’s asking if we can see each other tomorrow.”

“Oh, are you guys a thing then?” a forced smile makes its way to your face, though you ensure it looks genuine enough for Wooyoung to not notice.

he exhales, “Honestly? Not really. I like her and I think she’s really cute, but I’m not sure I see myself in a committed relationship with her.”

Wooyoung runs a hand through his two-toned hair, black strands falling over the blonde, “I’ll see how it goes though after a few dates.”

“Good luck!” you smile; a response you always gave whenever Wooyoung told you he was dating someone. because although it hurt, you wished him happiness, even if that meant he found it in someone else.

the rest of the night goes uneventful, but you can’t stop thinking about the fact that something needs to change. you don’t want to do it anymore; you don’t want to sit on the sidelines and watch your best friend fall in love with someone other than you.

but Wooyoung was never going to choose you, so perhaps it was time you found someone who would.

you needed to move on, you realize. not only for yourself, but so you could continue to be close with Wooyoung even after he ultimately finds another girl; someone who isn't you. with a goal in mind, you bite your lip and click the contact of the only person you could think of; Hongjoong.

-

"So what, i’m supposed to just ask for his number?" you sigh, already regretting asking for his help.

Hongjoong crosses his arms, "Yes, exactly that. Men love when women ask for their numbers, something about the assertiveness or some shit like that.” he shrugs.

you squint wearily at him, “Well, you don’t sound so convinced yourself, but I don’t really have anyone else to ask,”

you groan as you watch Hongjoong’s face stretch into a smirk. “Okay, asshole, when should I do it?”

“Do it today after your last class.” Hongjoong moves closer to you and whispers, “From what I know, Yeonjun’s class ends at the same time as yours. So when he’s leaving the building, you just need to be ready to catch him.”

you pout at his instructions, unsure how you’ll manage to do something like this. Hongjoong pats your head in comfort. “Okay… thank you Joongie, I’ll try my best.”

You move to wrap your arms around his waist, feeling his chest rumble with a laugh, “No need to thank me Y/nie, just let me know how it goes, and if he’s an ass to you I’ll beat him up.” he pulls back at you to wink and you push him away with a laugh. Well, what could possibly go wrong?

-

Everything is going wrong. you were supposed to be running out of class immediately to find Yeonjun, but someone accidentally ran into you, dumping their entire large caramel macchiato on you in the process.

and unlucky for you, you were wearing white; now you had to put off asking Yeonjun out and walk home with sticky skin and a stained shirt.

you ruffle your hands in your hair frustratedly as you exit the school building, regretting not bringing a hoodie that day. in your rushed walk towards your car, you fail to notice someone standing right in front of you.

you run straight into their chest.

“Oh my fucking-, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” you blurt out quickly, eyes filling up with tears in exhaustion as you look up to see Yeonjun.

Yeonjun.

No, No. No. this could not be happening.

you were supposed to ‘casually’ run into him with your hair neatly done and your outfit clean, but here you were with a huge stain on your chest and mascara tainting your tears.

your eyes move towards the floor as a tear falls, avoiding eye contact as you quickly wipe it away.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. nothing to apologize or get upset for,” he reassures, hands scrambling before landing on your shoulders.

he bends down to catch your eyes, “You okay? Doesn’t look like you’re having a very good day.”

and maybe it’s because you’re fed up with the events that occurred. not just the stupid sticky shirt but your stupid massive crush on your best friend that hasn’t gone away no matter how hard you try that you’re talking to the guy you were supposed to ask out to get over him and-

Yeonjun tucks a piece of hair behind your ear, staring at you in concern as you sniffle, trying to calm down and not have a total mental breakdown in front of someone you were not close with.

“Uh… I don’t exactly know what’s making you so sad, but if you need anything I’m here, even if we don’t know each other so well.” he smiles cutely, and your eyes dart to his full lips before glancing back at his eyes.

you don’t say anything, mind scattered and tired after the long day you’ve had. you wonder how you’re even functioning in this conversation with one of the hottest guys you’ve seen.

Yeonjun pouts once he realizes you are too tired to speak, before an idea comes to mind and his eyes light up. he grabs the hem of his hoodie and pulls it over his head, ruffling his hand through his hair as he hands it to you.

you don’t understand, this interaction is a lot more confusing than you initially thought it would be. but perhaps that was just your luck. your hands reach out unsure, so he pushes the hoodie in your arms firmly.

you clutch the lavender coloured fabric in your hands tightly, looking up at him in confusion. “What’s this for?”

he smiles again. you find you really like his smile. not as much as Wooyoungs though, an evil voice in your head reminds you. you frown as you ignore it.

“Well, I’m going to assume one of the things that’s got you so upset is about your shirt, so don’t worry about it, you can return the hoodie whenever you want,” he reassures kindly.

Your cheeks feel hot as you remember the humiliating stain. “Ah… I see. Thank you, you really didn’t have to do this for me.”

“It’s okay, honestly! Like I said, don’t worry about it.”

you bite your lip and nod, before remembering your mission to ask for his number. would it be too awkward now? would he even want to speak to you after this odd encounter? your mind races as you think of what to do next.

luckily, Yeonjun picks for you.

“I don’t really know if this is an appropriate time to ask, but could I by chance get your number?” he looks to the side, rubbing the back of his neck as a light blush coats his cheeks.

your face brightens at his question, and a soft laugh bubbles out of you at the sight of his blush.

“Yeah, sure, of course.”

he opens his phone and hands it to you. your fingers shake as you type your number in, but you hand it back to him with a steady smile.

“Thanks, I should get going, but I hope the rest of your day goes well.” he winks.

your eyebrows raise at his sudden confidence, but you would be lying if you said you didn’t find it attractive.

“Okay,” you smile, “Thank you for the hoodie, really it means a lot.”

he shakes his head back at you, “It was nothing, seriously. and I’ll text you later!”

you bow your head, agreeing as you watch him wave before jogging to his friends.

you clutch the hoodie in your hands tightly as you turn to walk to your car. you smile giddily,

mission accomplished.

-

it’s a Friday evening.

Wooyoung lays on your bed unceremoniously as he scrolls on his phone while you search your closet for an outfit to wear to the party tonight.

while normally you would’ve gone for something a little more comfortable, you decide to go for something more risky.

you did enjoy parties, but tonight you had someone’s attention to catch. someone who wasn’t the boy sitting on your bed.

“I don’t get why you’re putting so much thought into it. We go to parties all the time, what’s so different about this one?” Wooyoung nags, body laying on his side as he’s perched up on his hand, elbow digging into the mattress.

you huff, “Because! I just want to look prettier tonight, isn’t that a valid reason itself?”

Wooyoung looks at you suspiciously before sighing, “Fine, fine! I’ll find out the truth eventually y/nie,”

you roll your eyes at his tone before looking in the full-body mirror. you have a tight black skirt on paired with a matching fitted cropped shirt. underneath the skirt are sheer stockings, and you top it off with an oversized leather jacket.

your makeup and hair are already done, styled in your preferred way as you twirl in front of your mirror with a happy smile. this will surely catch Yeonjun's attention tonight, and your stomach swirls with joy at the thought.

a cough breaks you out of your stupor and you look up to find Wooyoung staring at you with wide eyes. his cheeks are tinted red as he licks his bottom lip.

“What? Does it look bad?” You look down self-consciously, unused to Wooyoung looking at you like that. you wonder if this outfit will catch more attention than you predicted.

he shakes his head and relaxes his face, “No, no. I was just surprised.”

he smirks, “You look hot.”

your lips part stupidity as you swiftly turn around to face the mirror again. “Shut up,” you mumble, ignoring the way your heart jumped at his words.

-

Loud music blares through your ears as you step foot into the party, eyes scanning the chaotic room for someone familiar. Wooyoung grabs your hand, lacing your fingers with his as he pulls you towards your mutual friends. you stare at your intertwined hands in awe before remembering that it meant nothing.

nothing to him at least.

your fingers slip from his grasp once you reach your friends and he looks at you in confusion. you smile reassuringly at him, however, and he turns back without noticing anything.

you bite your lip as you look around; you need to leave. not the party, but you need to leave from Wooyoung's side. you don’t belong there. you never have.

you tug at Wooyoung's arm to get his attention, prompting him to bend down as you speak into his ear, “I’m gonna go get a drink.”

“Okay! Just let me tell them and we can go.” he smiles dazzlingly, but you frown in response.

“No! Stay here, it’s okay! I’ll get it myself.”

the smile slowly slips from his face and his brows furrow. you look around anxiously, you don’t know why you feel so nervous. "Alright, just be careful and call me if you need anything, okay?” he grabs your arm, gazing at you seriously, and your stomach rolls at his protectiveness. you wish he wouldn’t be so perfect. but this was Wooyoung, so that was rather impossible.

you nod at him in response before leaving, letting out a breath when you were far enough.

you glance back at Wooyoung who is speaking animatedly, upset that you couldn’t enjoy yourself with him all because of your selfish feelings. you ignore the internal pull to be close and turn back around.

until you bump directly into someone’s chest.

“Fuck, what is wrong with me lately?” you murmur to yourself, rubbing your nose lightly before looking up.

“I’m so- Yeonjun?!”

the universe is not on your side it appears, as the Choi Yeonjun is in front of you looking at you with that cute boyish smile. you want to melt into a puddle of embarrassment then and there.

he chuckles at your expression, “So, is running into people always your thing? Or is that exclusive to me only?” his lips stretch into a grin.

“Seems to be exclusive to you, unfortunately,” you say teasingly, giggling at his offended look.

he puts a hand above his heart appearing wounded, “Unfortunately?! I will have you know it should be considered an honor to bump into me.”

“Considered an honor by who? Yourself?” you gloat, enjoying the flirty banter with a guy you found immensely attractive.

he clicks his tongue before giving up the facade and smiling genuinely. “I thought you said you’d text me when you got here.” he pouts at you; you have to force yourself to look away from his lips.

you and Yeonjun had been texting ever since your little run-in on campus. he knew you were coming here, hence the fact that you also put in more effort for your look today. you hadn’t exactly told Wooyoung about him either, unsure how your best friend would react to you randomly finding interest in dating.

“I just got here! I was going to text you once I got a drink, I promise.”

he nods sulkily, and you suddenly think he and Wooyoung would get along well. “Okay then, let’s go get you a drink?” he asks, grabbing your hand to lead you.

you stare at your hand in his as he leads you through the swarm of people. his is much larger than yours, warmth radiating off him so intensely you wish you could feel butterflies. but it is nothing in comparison to how you feel with your hand intertwined with Wooyoungs, and your heart dims at the realization.

the rest of the night goes by fast and enjoyable, and you find yourself enamoured with Yeonjun. but as much as you wish you liked him romantically, you find him amazing platonically at best.

you feel as though you are fighting a losing battle, and that using Yeonjun to get over Wooyoung would not only fail, but be selfish in case he caught feelings for you.

so when it gets a little too late, you make your way back to Wooyoung. Yeonjun is still next to you, and the two of you are engaging in a very serious conversation about whether or not water is wet when you feel someone grab your waist softly.

you jump at the feeling, unintentionally moving closer to Yeonjun until you turn around to find Wooyoung.

you relax at the sight of him, now gravitating to Wooyoung subconsciously, “Hi! Ready to go? I’m so tired and my head is pounding from the music.”

Wooyoung smiles at you, but it looks forced. “Yeah, yeah. Who’s this?” he tilts his head toward Yeonjun, and you blanch as you realize what kind of situation you put yourself in. but it shouldn’t go awry; the two didn’t know each other, and Wooyoung had no idea that you were interested in Yeonjun- if you could even call it that.

“This is Yeonjun, he goes to our University. He’s majoring in Dance actually, just like you!” you try unsure, glancing back to Yeonjun to assess his face.

he doesn’t look as standoffish as Wooyoung however, seeming rather amused as he eyes Wooyoung's hand on your waist.

“Hey, it’s nice to meet you. I hope I didn’t hog Y/n to myself all night.”

Wooyoung's hand tightens as he takes a step closer to you. you can smell the cologne on him and feel the heat coming from him on your back.

Wooyoung laughs, but it is far from genuine, “No, of course not. Y/n is her own person, she can hang out with whoever she wants, even if it’s with someone like you.”

your head whips to Wooyoung, face scandalized at his last words. you push at his chest, moving him away from Yeonjun, “Dude, not fucking cool.”

you turn back to Yeonjun, ignoring the way he is still staring at Wooyoung in mirth.

“I’m sorry, he’s had a long night and too much to drink, we should get going.” You slap your hand over Wooyoung's mouth when he moves to open it, giving a crooked smile to Yeonjun as Wooyoung fumbles beneath your hand.

Yeonjun glances at Wooyoung before his eyes land on you, “No worries, I get it. Just text me when you get home. I’ll see you on Monday?”

you nod quickly, “Yeah, of course, I’ll see you then!”

without another word, you grab Wooyoung's arm and drag him out of the house and into his car. once seated in the passenger seat, you open your hand and look at him expectantly.

he glances to your open palm, “What?”

“Keys.” you sigh, wanting this night to be over so you can lay in bed and go to sleep.

Wooyoung places the keys in your hand with a pout and you clutch them before standing up, shutting his door, and getting in the driver's seat.

“So, Yeonjun huh? Didn’t know you two were so close.” Wooyoung says, voice cutting the deafening silence. your hands tighten on the wheel as you focus on the road.

Wooyoung is still sulking, and while you have no idea why, you also have no interest in finding out. his behavior in front of Yeonjun was extremely uncalled for and disrespectful, and you would give him an earful had he not drank anything tonight. “C'mon, Y/nie, don’t ignore me. I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have talked to him like that but I just... got bad vibes from him.”

you roll your eyes at his words, though some of your anger diminishes at his apology. well, at least he knew why you were upset.

“Bad vibes? Why? You’ve spoken to him for a total of two minutes.”

Wooyoung deflates. it seems he knows he is being unreasonable. “I dunno, okay? But listen, I’m allowed to be upset too. You haven’t told me anything about your relationship with Yeonjun, and I'm your best friend.”

you glance at his crestfallen face before sighing, “You’re right, I’m sorry too. I should have told you about him, I just didn’t know how to bring it up.”

“It’s okay I guess, but I’ll only forgive you on one condition.”

you narrow your eyes at him before looking back to the road, “And what would that be?”

Wooyoung grins mischievously, “You tell me all about it. When did you first meet, how did you first meet, how often do you text? And most importantly, how it went tonight with him!” he rambles excitedly, and you hate that he seems so happy at the prospect of you speaking to a guy.

and so you begin to tell Wooyoung the events leading up to the party, including the details such as your stained shirt, the hoodie, the fact that the two of you have been texting for quite a while, and why you dressed up tonight.

he nods excitedly at you as you go through the events while driving, but you fail to notice the dimness in his eyes and how his smile seems a little more strained as you go on a tangent about Yeonjun's cute lips.

you arrive home soon after, dropping Wooyoung off and parking his car before walking to your apartment. the two of you lived quite close.

once in bed, you recount the events that occurred at the party, stomach lurching when you remember Wooyoung's possessive hand on you.

but then the butterflies morph into moths, an ugly wretched feeling of yearning swallows you whole, and you find yourself spiraling at the realization that you are zero steps closer to getting over Jung Wooyoung. you have merely been going in circles from the start.

Wooyoung on the other hand, lays in bed with a permanent frown. he doesn’t understand the irritation he feels towards Yeonjun, and he certainly doesn’t understand why he felt threatened by seeing you two together. you were his best friend, and that’s all you’ve ever been to him.

but as he stares at his ceiling and pictures a life where you are not his, he wonders if you’ve meant more to him all along.

-

"I’m going to break things off with Yeonjun." You rest your head on your hands, elbows perched on the table in front of you.

Hongjoong sits before you, mouth open as he looks at you as if you are crazy. and perhaps you are for even thinking of letting Yeonjun go, but you were never really a selfish person, much less a selfish lover. and while you were not considered Yeonjun's lover just yet, you figure you need to pull back now before the tide takes you too far, leaving you stranded and alone drowning in your own consequences.

he exhales rather dramatically, "Are you sure? I'm going to be honest, I don't understand at all. Everything has been going so well! Why would you give up now?"

"But it hasn't been going so well Joong. I find him attractive but my feelings for Wooyoung are still very much there and alive." You take a sip of your drink, allowing the cool beverage to calm you. "I don't want to be one of those assholes who lead someone on when they aren't over their first crush or whatever."

you shake your head, "That's never going to be me."

Hongjoong nods understandingly. "Well, if you put it like that I can't really disagree."

he reaches over from across the table to pat your head comfortingly, "I'm proud of you, though. You are so selfless, it makes me worry someone will take advantage of you." You smile abashed at his praise, having always looked up to Hongjoong.

"Don't worry, I'm strong too, okay? I learned from you, after all." You smile as he scoffs teasingly.

Hongjoong glances out the window before looking back at you, "So, when are you planning on breaking the news to him? And what do you plan to do after?"

you press your lips together, "I asked him to meet me in an hour, so hopefully that goes well."

"As for after that..." you smile bitterly, "Maybe I'll confess to Wooyoung. I don't know, maybe a rejection would help me move on properly."

Honghoong tilts his head up and down, "You're a good person, y'know? It's not selfish of you to catch feelings for someone. Stuff like that is inevitable."

"And confessing your feelings wouldn't be a burden, I know what you are thinking, you deserve an answer to your feelings, whether that is an acceptance or a rejection."

you smile at Hongjoong's words, "Thank you, my unpaid therapist I so dearly love."

"Anytime." he deadpans, and you giggle as you watch his face break out into a smile.

you leave the coffee shop soon after, enjoying the breeze as you walk back to campus to meet Yeonjun. you aren't sure how your talk will go, but you know you need to get everything off of your chest, including the guilt of leading Yeonjun on.

"Y/n!" a voice calls out from behind you, and you turn to see Yeonjun waving at you. He jogs up to you, smiling once he is close, "Hey! How are you doing?"

you grin softly at him, "I'm doing okay, how about you?"

he runs a hand through his hair, and you are once again reminded of his strikingly amazing looks. you hope he finds someone to appreciate him as he deserves. "I'm alright, but I'm guessing you have something to speak to me about after that ominous text."

"Yeah... you're right." you glance up at him before looking back in front of you. "Lets walk and I'll tell you?"

"Of course, start whenever you're ready."

you exhale shakily, "So, there is no easy way to say this, but for as long as I've known Wooyoung, I have had feelings for him," You bite your lip, ripping the bandaid off immediately. "Maybe it was something about the way he treated me, or the way he treated everyone else. He was just so full of love and I was immediately smitten."

you look up into Yeonjun's eyes, "It's been three years, and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get over him." You move to stand directly in front of Yeonjun. "I owe you a massive apology. I am so incredibly sorry for showing interest in you despite having feelings for someone else. It wasn't right for me to practically use you, not when you have been so good to me from the beginning."

you finish your apology with a deep bow, only rising when Yeonjun scrambles to make you stand straight.

"Well, I can't say I'm totally surprised. I did see how he looked at you at the party, but I do appreciate the apology." he smiles, not seeming resentful in the slightest. you wonder if he was an angel in his past life.

but you're also confused, "What do you mean how he looked at me? It's unrequited, he only sees me as his best friend." Your mind races as you try to imagine what Yeonjun could possibly mean, but you try not to get your hopes up.

he tilts his head, "I just mean he looked really jealous, but I guess you didn't notice." You look at Yeonjun with furrowed brows, before pushing the thought out entirely. you could overthink this later, when you weren't in the presence of the sweet guy in front of you.

"Anyway! I just wanted to talk to you about that. I really am sorry, and I hope we can be friends even if I was a selfish asshole."

Yeonjun shakes his head seriously, "You are not a selfish asshole for trying to get over him. You telling me all of this now proves that you are much kinder than you give yourself credit for."

"And of course we're friends! If it makes you feel any better, I'm still not one hundred percent over my ex, so I hope that will ease your conscience." he pats your shoulder reassuringly.

you raise your eyebrows at his confession. "Thank you, seriously." You move to hug him and he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you into him firmly.

what you don't notice, is your best friend staring at you a few feet away, your favorite donut in one hand and his iced americano in the other.

he eyes Yeonjun's arms wrapped around you, wanting nothing more than to pull him off and surround you with himself instead. you deserved someone better than Yeonjun. you deserved someone who would make you breakfast when you slept in; someone who would bring you hot cocoa between classes during harsh winters, and someone who would shower you with more love than you could possibly imagine.

he could do that for you; he could be that person for you.

Wooyoung's chest feels lighter when he realizes what this means, but his brows furrow as he watches you break apart from Yeonjun, looking up at him with a sweet smile. he pouts, glancing at the donut in his hand as he turns away, a new goal in mind.

he is going to pursue you. not Miyu, whom he hadn't had an interest in quite some time, nor Yujin, the girl from his class who wouldn't leave him alone. he doesn't know why he's been searching so hard for something- or someone who was right there all along.

but he has time to make up for it, and he certainly will.

The next time you see Wooyoung is during your break between classes. you are sitting at a bench outside, headphones on as you whisper the lyrics to 'Dust' by Seventeen.

you shriek when you feel a cold sensation on the back of your neck, pulling your headphones off as you hear that familiar cackle behind you. you glare at Wooyoung as he wipes tears from his eyes, finding you very amusing.

"I'm glad that was so funny to you," you say snarkily, but all Wooyoung does is beam at you in response. "You're not going to thank me? I drove all the way to the store to grab it."

you glance down at the cold drink in front of you, seeing your ultimate favorite beverage from a store all the way across town. you look up to Wooyoung with an excited smile, "Oh shit! Thank you, you really shouldn't have."

Wooyoung shrugs your comment off with a wave of his hand, but his cheeks burn pleasantly. he takes a seat next to you, nuzzling your neck as he wraps his arms around your waist and you freeze. you haven't been this close to Wooyoung in weeks, courtesy of the distance you implemented in order to get over him.

"I miss you," he whispers, and you relax instantly. the last thing you wanted was for Wooyoung to feel neglected in your friendship, so you accept his hug without a care for your initial goal.

you pat his head, running your hands through his hair as you notice it has gotten quite long. he melts underneath your touch, and you smile fondly. "You okay?" you ask.

Wooyoung lifts his head, facing you. the two of you are inches apart, and your heart races at the close proximity. you can see his precious dot, as he likes to call it; your eyes trace his nose bridge as your gaze falls to his lips, eyeing the beauty mark on his bottom lip.

he bites his lower lip, and you glance back up to his eyes, noticing his gaze stuck on your lips as well. you wonder what he’s thinking.

you swiftly turn to your laptop, "So, how was class?" Your cheeks feel hot, and your chest burns. you were about two seconds away from saying fuck it and kissing him.

Wooyoung sighs, "It was okay I guess. Nothing interesting, I'd rather be with you."

your stomach lurches at his words, but you turn to him puzzled. "Isn't Miyu in your last class? What happened?"

"Nothing," he shrugs. "I've just realized there are more important things for me to focus on. More important people to focus on."

you stare at his unusual seriousness, "Ah... I see."

he suddenly smiles brightly, "Plus, I'd rather be around my Y/nie than any other girl!" he moves to hug you again, and you stare bitterly at the drink in front of you.

you would never get over him. it was like clockwork.

-

"Okay, let's go?" you ask Wooyoung, who is once again perched up on your bed as you exit your bathroom, spraying your perfume and eyeing the black bodycon dress that hugged your body flatteringly.

when you look up Wooyoung is standing with his arms crossed, mouth pursed in a pout. you raise your eyebrows at him, "What?"

he falls backward on your bed, facing the ceiling. "How is it possible to look that beautiful. I'll never know."

your heart jumps like it always does when he compliments you, though you giggle as you wave him off, "C'mon, Youngie, we’ll be late."

the two of you arrive at the club less than thirty minutes later, and Wooyoung laces his fingers with yours the moment you step in. you glance down, stomach swirling at the sight of the rings adorning his hands and prominent veins leading up his arms. you bite your lip and look up; you could not get distracted by his arms so early into the night.

"Wooyoung! Y/n! It's so good to see you." the tall bartender greets.

you smile up at him, "It's good to see you too, Mingi. I hope you're doing well,"

Mingi nods, "I am, and I'm doing even better after seeing you two. It's nice to see some familiar faces in this place."

"When you finish your shift you should come with us! We miss you, Mangi, it's been too long." Wooyoung whines from his place beside you. you roll your eyes at his antics, but you would be lying if you said you didn't miss Mingi too.

Mingi laughs, smiling at the two of you. "So, the usual?"

"Yup! Please and thank you." You grin cheekily. Mingi winks before leaving to get your drinks.

Wooyoung turns to you, "The others should be here any second now, I'm honestly shocked we got here first." You lean your head on Wooyoung's shoulder, unable to hear his breath hitch due to the loud music, "I'm not really surprised, we've always been punctual people."

you lift your head and smile at him, faces close as you wink, "That's why we get along so well."

Wooyoung gulps at your closeness as he smiles nervously, "Yeah, I really hate people who are late." You giggle and nod, understanding him completely.

a large figure runs into Wooyoung from behind as their arms wrap around him, and you laugh as you watch San smile at you from his place on Wooyoung's shoulder, "Hi, Y/nie! Youngie! I've missed you guys so much, it's been like, forever!"

"It's actually been three days, but I gather that's too long for you two." you tease, and Wooyoung pouts at you as he turns around to hug San properly.

San moves to hug you next, "Yeosang and Hongjoong are using the bathroom, those two losers drank too much water or something." San looks disgusted as Wooyoung giggles.

"TMI Sannie, TMI," you say stifling a laugh. San was very close to Wooyoung, and very similar to Wooyoung. those two were the cutest platonic soulmates you've seen, and it has always been fun when they were together.

"What did you tell them, San-ah?" a deep voice deadpans from behind you. you turn to see Yeosang and Hongjoong, squinting at San as he hides behind Wooyoung.

you jump out of your seat, "Sangie!" you run into his arms, squeezing him tightly. "I missed you so much, you barely come to these events anymore." You pout up at him as he smiles, "Sorry, Y/n, I've been a little busy, but I promise I'll try to come as often as I can."

Hongjoong stands to the side, "The fuck am I? Chopped liver?"

you break away from Yeosang and giggle as you move to hug Hongjoong as well, "Hi, Joongie. I missed you as well, even if I saw you two days ago."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Hongjoong says dismissively, though the smile on his face tells a different story.

the four of you move to a booth, ordering another round of drinks along with some food. the night is fun, filled with laughter and jokes as you watch Wooyoung and Hongjoong bicker like children. you are almost finished your meal when you spot a familiar head through the crowd.

"I'll be right back, I want to go say hi to someone," you tell them, taking a sip of your drink before sliding out of the booth as you stare at your target.

Wooyoung eyes you from his seat, ignoring the looks of mirth he gets from his friends. you look amazing tonight, just as you do every night, and it's been hard for him to not want to keep his arms wrapped around you the whole time. not because of others staring, but because of how irresistible you look. he wonders who you have left to speak to, but once he gets a glimpse of their face, he scowls.

Yeonjun.

"Yeonjun! Hi!" you greet, smiling toothily at the tall man.

he looks shocked for a moment before his face relaxes at the sight of you, "Hey, Y/n, how's it going?" he moves to hug you, arms covering your torso as you stretch to hug his neck. you feel as though someone is staring at you from behind, but shrug it off as you look back to Yeonjun.

"It's good! Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Wooyoung are over there." You point back to them, and Yeonjun glances at the table, coughing when he sees Wooyoung glaring at him.

"Oh, that's cool. I came with Beomgyu, and HueningKai. They're over there getting shitfaced as we speak."

you look behind him and find the two of them dancing sloppy and chuckle at the sight. "And let me guess, you are the responsible parent for the night?"

Yeonjun sighs, "Unfortunately. Without me, these idiots wouldn't end up home most nights."

you nod at him, amused.

"So, how's everything with Mr. Loverboy?" Yeonjun asks, tilting his head toward Wooyoung. you glance back and catch Wooyoung's eye; he smiles charmingly, and you grin back before facing Yeonjun, and your face drops. "I actually have no idea. Sometimes it feels like we're having a moment, but then he treats me like normal, so I'm not really sure."

you exhale, "If there's one thing I know, though, it's that he isn't interested in any girl right now. He told me he has more important things and people to focus on or something like that."

you smile sadly, "I wonder if it's too naive to think it's me."

Yeonjun scoffs loudly, and you look up to him startled. "Listen, if I wasn't sure before, I am sure now. Wooyoung most definitely feels the same way about you." he leans down to your ear, feeling only slightly scared as Wooyoung glowers at him from across the room. "Not only was he incredibly jealous the first time I met him, but he has been shooting daggers at me since you approached me."

Yeonjun lifts his head and smiles encouragingly, "I'm sure all he needs is a little push, and he'll confess. Don't give up yet, Y/n. He's almost there, I can tell."

you look at Yeonjun, not very convinced though not as dejected as before. "Okay, yeah. I should get back."

You glance at his friends, "Good luck with those two, let me know if I can help." You smile, giggling when Yeonjun sighs dramatically at the sight of them.

"Don't worry, I can handle them. You should focus on the jealous boy who's waiting for you across the room." Yeonjun waves before giving you a little push towards Wooyoung, "Please, go before he rips my head off."

you roll your eyes with a chuckle, smiling as you wave and make your way back to your friends and Wooyoung. you attempt to swiftly pass the people dancing, but you get caught up in the crowd, losing sight of the table and struggling to get out.

when a hand grabs at your wrist, you flinch, moving back as you cradle your arm against you protectively. "Hey, sweetness," a gruff voice comes and you glance up to see an older man with missing teeth.

Just what you needed.

your hands shake as you attempt to move past him, "Sorry, not interested." but he grabs your arm again and you rip it out of his grasp for the second time.

"I said I'm not interested."

he laughs, and you can smell his rancid breath from where you stand. "You don't mean that, c'mon, why else would you be wearing that?" Your face drops at his comment, and your mind races as you wonder if you'll be able to run fast enough to lose him. you glance at the dancing bodies surrounding you, realizing that was highly unlikely.

but before you can panic any longer, a familiar scent fills your senses as you are pulled into someone's chest. you flinch again, still jittery, but when you see Wooyoung you relax immediately.

Wooyoung curls an arm around your waist and you sink into his embrace, "She said she’s not interested, you fucking loser." he glowers, face devoid of the usual joy it contains, as his eyes are hardened with protectiveness.

“Well, maybe she shouldn't be wearing that outfit if she didn't want the attention!" the man yells, causing people to look your way as a circle forms surrounding the three of you. you tug at Wooyoungs arm when you see his nose flare in anger not wanting things to get physical, "Wooyoung, fuck this idiot, don't bother with him," you glance up at the man before you,

"He has enough problems, like the fact that he wakes up every day looking like that." You sneer.

Wooyoung grins, "Good point."

the man opens his mouth in fury, but he gets interrupted, "Is there a problem here?" Two security guards approach and the man pales. you interject before he can speak, "Yes, actually. This guy grabbed me twice when I said I wasn't interested."

the man flails uselessly as the two men escort him out, cursing at them in rage. a rather anticlimactic ending to such a panic-inducing situation, but you gratefully accept it. you exhale once they are out of sight, relaxing onto Wooyoung as he wraps both of his arms around your waist. you feel exhausted, though Wooyoung feels comforting around you, and you do not wish to move.

"Y/nie, let's go home?" he whispers in your ear, and you nod slowly before turning around and burying your face in his neck. Wooyoung, your Wooyoungie. you feel tears spring to your eyes, because the truth is he wasn't yours.

perfect, protective, kind, thoughtful, and sweet Wooyoung was not yours, and you find that thought a little harder to digest right now. Wooyoung feels something wet on his neck as he looks down at you worriedly, "Y/n? Are you okay?"

you don't respond, clutching him harder as he curses before maneuvering you outside.

the cooler night air feels refreshing as it greets you, and you sniffle once the door closes and you are alone with Wooyoung. "What's wrong, Y/nie? Talk to me, pretty."

another tear streams down your face at the term of endearment as you push him away frustrated. "Don't call me that!"

Wooyoung's face drops, "Don't call you pretty?" he looks at you helplessly, "I-I'm sorry, but I don't- Are you upset about what just happened? Because why does it seem like you're upset with me?"

you wipe your tears, annoyed with your shaky hands and legs that felt much too like jello. "I am upset! I'm scared because that was a really scary situation to be in, but more importantly, I'm upset with you!"

Wooyoung looks heartbroken, his hand reaching out to you before falling to his side.

"It's not fucking fair, okay? You don't get to buy me sweet drinks and get possessive when I flirt with someone, and then glare daggers into guys I'm just friends with and protect me from creepy ugly men without me catching feelings for you!" you cry out, breathing heavily as you continue.

"I'm so tired of the shitty butterflies I get when I see you, or the sadness I feel when you look at every girl but me, and most of all I'm sick of your stupid pretty lips that look way too pretty to be real and- now I'm rambling about your lips being pretty-"

he grabs your cheeks gently, pushing his lips onto yours and your brain short circuits. your hands lift unsure, before finding purchase on Wooyoung's broad shoulders as you part your mouth, a small noise leaving your throat when he bites your bottom lip gently.

he pulls back first, and you swallow the whine you want to let out. "I have feelings for you too, Y/n. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out, but I'm here now." he smiles unsure, "And uh, if it's okay with you, I'd like to take you out on a date sometime. Or something like that." he says shyly.

you smile at his red cheeks before cupping his face and pulling him down into another kiss, this time taking your time as you slip your tongue in and tug gently on his bottom lip back with your teeth, before parting and giggling at his furious blush.

"I'd love to go on a date with you." You kiss his nose and smile before grabbing his hand and leading him back to the car. "And you're coming home with me tonight! I deserve cuddles," you demand as Wooyoung stares at you dopily from behind.

you would get all the cuddles you wanted, and more. Wooyoung would give the world to you if you asked, because that was exactly what you deserved.

Extra:

“C’mon, Junnie. Don’t be scared. I just want to introduce you two since you both mean so much to me,” you whine at Yeonjun, pulling his arm as he shakes his head back and forth.

he whines back at you, “Why would you subject me to this knowing how Wooyoung feels about me? You are cruel, Y/n. Very cruel."

you roll your eyes at his dramatic behavior, “This is exactly what I mean when I say your extra ass will get along with Wooyoung. You two act so similar it’s honestly kind of scary.”

“Yeah, except I don’t glare at people when I feel jealous.” he crosses his arms, staring at the ‘Welcome’ sign in front of the cafe Wooyoung was waiting for you two at.

you push him closer to the door, “Please, Junnie? It would really mean a lot to me,” you beg softly, knowing Yeonjun wouldn’t be able to handle your sad eyes.

he sighs, head falling down before he looks back up, “Fine, fine. Just stop looking like a kicked puppy.”

you cheer with your arms up, smiling happily as you drag him inside.

“Wooyo!” you call, watching Wooyoung look up with a cute smile. you let go of Yeonjun's arm as you take quick steps toward your boyfriend, “I know you two know each other already, but this is time for re-introductions.” you state seriously, grabbing Wooyoung's hand softly.

he stares at you sulking, but listens obediently. “Wooyoung, this is Yeonjun, one of my close friends. Yeonjun, this is Wooyoung, my boyfriend! I hope you guys can get along well.”

the two of them wave half-heartedly, mumbling ‘hellos’ but you figure that’s good enough for now. “Okay, I’ll go grab the food then,”

you ignore the way both of them turn to you with wide eyes, smirking as you approach the front and leave them alone with one another.

Wooyoung glares at Yeonjun as he avoids eye contact, finding the stain on the table much more interesting. “So. Yeonjun, I’ll be frank, do you like Y/n?”

Yeonjun's eyes snap to Wooyoung's serious ones as he sighs, “No, I only like her as a friend, I promise.” Wooyoung sits back unconvinced as he crosses his arms. Yeonjun figures he should come clean and explain himself properly, for your sake at the very least.

“I understand why you would be skeptical, especially since we did flirt before, but neither of us actually felt anything for each other from the start. We may have tried, but Y/n was way too in love with you to even bother looking at me, and I was still getting over a breakup so I never really looked at her like that.” he bites his lip, glancing at Wooyoungs face for a reaction and is in shock when he sees Wooyoung... blushing.

“She’s… in love with me?” he smiles elated, and Yeonjun wonders if he spoke too much. “Well, yeah? I thought… oh fuck.” he rubs his hands on his face; he was just fucking up one thing after the other.

he places his hands on the table as he watches you pick up the food making your way back to the table, “Okay, please keep this conversation to yourself otherwise I will never see the light of day again.”

Wooyoung giggles, “Mmhm, no worries!” he looks the happiest Yeonjun has ever seen him, and he sighs as he figures Wooyoung wouldn’t out him immediately at least.

you place the tray of food on the table, “What’s got you so happy, Woo?” you ask, smiling at his very obvious joy.

“Nothing, nothing,” he winks at Yeonjun, and he has to stop himself from face palming.

you glance at Yeonjun amused, “Okay, you guys can keep your secrets, don’t mind me.”

the rest of the lunch goes by shockingly pleasant, as Wooyoung and Yeonjun get along just like you knew they would. by the time the three of you are leaving the cafe, Yeonjun and Wooyoung have their arms intertwined as Wooyoung tells Yeonjun about the time he free styled for his dance exam after someone stole his choreography, Yeonjun listening intently as his mouth parts in awe.

you giggle as you watch them from behind. sure, Yeonjun might be your new rival for Wooyoung’s attention, but so long as Wooyoung was happy, you didn’t mind. the grin on your face only grows when you watch them hug goodbye.

this was your true happy ending.

unofficial tags: @scuzmunkie

I fucking forgot there was ANGST writing there, I didn't expect to cry in the middle of class because of this, but I did, a little bit. Demon Wooyoung never misses, God, I love him so bad. This? Broke my heart in the best way, but the end gave me a bit tide of hope. Do I low-key want a part 2, where they meet again and Wooyoung have to deal with the fact that she doesn't know him at all, but they have all of that baggage from the past? Yes I do. Can I make a request for that?? I won't if you don't think you want to continue this story, but that would be so good too

Anyway, love this, love you, thank you for writing it! ❤️

✴︎ Time is all we have ✴︎

↳ Pairing: Wooyoung x reader

❧ Genre : fluff, angst, demons

❧ Words : +19k

❧ Warnings : stalkish behavior, violence, oral

❧ Summary : You never believed in ghosts or demons but when a terribly attractive man starts messing with your life, you’re forced to reconsider.

A/N: I haven't written anything for so damn long and of course when I get back to it I can't make it short. Damn, I feel rusty. Definitely gonna be more active. Enjoy!

❀

You knew there was something wrong with you.

Well, maybe not completely with you but definitely with your life. You weren’t a believer per say; you didn’t believe in an afterlife, nor did you believe in God or demons and even less in ghosts. But and it was a big but, you couldn’t deny that the past two months made you think that maybe there was something out there. Something that had been playing with you, messing with you. Your normal, peaceful life had gone from calm to shit crazy and there was no rational explanation to it, leaving you with no other choice but consider the impossible. What if something was haunting you?

Impossible, ridiculous were your initial thoughts and till this day a little voice still told you that, but another part of you whispered to you, warning you that something dark and dangerous was lingering in the darkness, watching you closely. You didn’t want to believe, really, but you couldn’t deny it any longer. Not when you were standing in the darkness, in the middle of your living room and that a silhouette was standing by your window, arms crossed over its chest. As your eyes adapted to the lack of light, you realized it was a man.

You blinked, once, twice, your heart missing a beat as slowly fear crept over you. “Who are you?”

Despite your fear, you wanted to sound as confident as possible. You wanted whoever was in this room to know that you were not weak but your voice had betrayed you.

He chuckled in response, sensing your fear, discomfort and attempt at being courageous. Clearly, you were an amusing little thing. He took a step closer to you, knowing well that in this darkness you wouldn’t be able to see him, to recognize him.

“Stop!” You ordered putting your hands before you to shield you. It was dumb, you knew that very well but did it nonetheless. “Don’t come any closer.”

“Or what? What can possibly the little human do to stop me?”

The term ‘human’ made your blood run cold. Here was the proof your relational side needed to confirm that something unnatural was going on in your life. Or maybe he was just a psychopath.

‘Who are you’ was once again on the tip of your tongue but you stopped yourself.

His voice. You knew this voice, not only from that night at the club but also from your dream.

It couldn’t be. There was no way.

Your heart leapt into your throat at the realization. You knew exactly who was in the room, hiding himself in the dark. The thing that you did not know was what he was and the simple idea of voicing your guess terrified you.

“What are you?”

Instead of answering you, he took another step closer and then another. A little voice was screaming at you, telling you to run but your feet stayed glued to the floor. You watched him getting dangerously closer to you and then you saw it. Red eyes glowing in the darkness.

“I think you know the answer, doll.”

You were not a believer. But this man made you believe. Because right before your eyes stood an inhuman being.

A demon.

❀

Then,

“This is ridiculous.” You groaned in pure despair as you all took seat around the table in Soojin’s living room. Why, oh why, did your friends decide that a good, fun night should end in some horror and ghost stories? You weren’t particularly scared since you didn’t believe in spirits but it didn’t mean you enjoyed the game either. It freaked you out. Always had.

“Don’t be a party pooper, Y/N.” Soojin nudged you with her elbow. She put the Ouija board in the middle of the table and you couldn’t help but shiver at the sight of it. It was old and dusty and looked just as ominous as in your memories. Or maybe it was the atmosphere in the room. Soojin wasn’t playing around when she suggested to use the board. She lit as many candles as she could around her living room, setting an almost mystic, eerie atmosphere.

“Ouah! It looks old!” Mingi moved the board closer to him to have a look. “And not handmade. Clearly, you’ve got it for a while.”

“Yep! Found it at my grandma’s place long ago and kept it all this time.”

“And did you use it?” Mina seemed not as thrilled as the three other and you could almost guess why. Dealing with ghost stories, she could, in fact in the past she used to tell you the best stories ever that would make you shiver and gasp in surprise. Now, an Ouija board? Communicating with spirits? That was a whole other level of crazy considering what had happened in her life recently.

“Yes, with Y/N!” She was definitely too excited.

You rolled your eyes in response.

“Let me guess, you scared each other?” Seonghwa eyed the two of you with a knowing look.

“She,” You pointed an accusing finger at Soojin, “tried to scare the shit out of me. Too bad it didn’t work.” That was obviously a half truth. Back then, Soojin swore it wasn’t her doing and a spirit really did communicate with the two of you. The rational part, or maybe the scared part of you, refused to believe it and rather wanted to blame Soojin. However, the little voice inside your head told you another story, a story you would rather not think about.

Soojin scoffed but chose to ignore your remark. For the better. You had been friends for more than ten years, she knew everything about you and of course, she knew exactly how you felt about ghosts.

“I suppose, everybody knows the rules? I think we all watched enough horror movies to know them by now.” Soojin said

Mingi clapped his hands, excited to ‘play’.

“Be polite.” Seonghwa remembered the rule and at the same time glanced at Mingi who was his main concern. He loved his friend but whenever he was too excited about something he could forget the basics. “And always say goodbye.”

“Good, good. Do you know what you’re going to ask?”

Everybody nodded except you. You accepted being part of it which was already a huge miracle, but that didn’t mean you have to think about questions. Luckily for your group, they all had questions on mind.

Soojin nodded, satisfied. “Well then, let’s begin.”

The moment your put your finger on the planchette, a shiver run down your spine. Ten years later and you still had that dreadful feeling. There was some bad energy emanating from the board and apparently you were the only one bothered by it.

“Hello. Is there any spirit with us?” Soojin started, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Just like ten years ago, nothing happened at first. No movement whenever it was from an actual spirit or your friends. Nobody talked, barely breathing as all of you waited for something to happen.

“Maybe they don’t want to talk to us.” Mingi commented

“They definitely don’t want to talk to you.” Seonghwa replied, rolling his eyes at his friend’s impatience. Not like he was surprised.

“Hush you two.” Soojin ordered, eyes sending daggers. “Please, ignore my friends. Is there anybody?”

You closed your eyes for a moment, a chill running down your spine. You couldn’t describe how you felt; a mixture of anxiousness, of uneasiness and maybe even fear. There was definitely something in the air, and you felt a surge of energy from the board that forced you to open your eyes and look at it. Once more, it appeared you were the only one to notice that there was definitely something going on.

“Soojin, I-“ you started saying but was cut short as the planchette started moving. It went straight to the ‘yes’.

“Oh shit.” Mina gasped in surprise.

“Who’s doing it?” Seonghwa asked. Finally, someone was as skeptical as you. “There’s no way-“

“Oh come on. Please don’t be like Y/N!” Soojin almost begged which earned her a kick under the table from you. She couldn’t expect all of you to believe that there was something in the dark, watching them.

“It’s okay, Seonghwa. Let them play.” You gave him a reassuring smile.

But your smile vanished as soon as the planchette started moving again. You watched it, letters after letters until you could have the full picture - a picture that made you squirm with uneasiness in your seat.

‘HELLO FRIEND.’

To say you were shocked would be an understatement. Your first reaction was to glare at Soojin. She was the only one who knew about it, who had experienced it with you. Ten years ago, when you believed your friend was the one playing trick on you, the ‘spirit’ had said the same thing: hello friend.

Soojin looked back at you. For someone who was so excited about the whole thing, she didn’t look so thrilled any longer. Her face looked paler and her hand, the one on the planchette, started shaking.

If for a moment you were convinced, she was the one messing with you, now you weren’t so sure. Soojin was a terrible actress, there was no way she could fake her uneasiness.

“He-hello.” She stuttered, cleared her throat and looked around her. “We have some questions for you. Can you please help us?”

This time around it didn’t take long to reply. It moved instantly on ‘yes’.

“Can I ask?” Despite her initial enthusiasm, Mina looked somehow sadder and you could easily guess why. Her dad passed away six months ago and she didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. It was a sudden death that nobody could have predicted which made things much more complicated and worse. You bet she wanted a chance to say goodbye even if it meant to believe in ghosts.

Soojin understood it too and so did the boys.

“Go on. You can do it.” Soojin encouraged her.

“Can you please tell me if my dad is in peace?”

Your heart clenched in pain for her. Mina was a sweet girl, cheerful, honest and so loyal to her friends. It hurt you to see the pain and the sadness in her eyes, she didn’t deserve such trouble in her life. So when the planchette moved to ‘no’, you felt your blood boil in your veins. Whoever was messing with you deserved a good punch in the face.

“What do you mean no?” Mina asked louder than intended.

“Guys, it’s not fun.” Seonghwa was not amused either.

You were about to let go of the planchette when you felt a warm breath on your neck. You froze, unable to move, to speak. You glanced behind you but there was nothing and nobody. Of course, there wasn’t. You were slowly losing your mind. This whole ouija board was a bad idea.

It moved again.

‘HELL’

It took Mina a lot of willpower not to let go of the planchette just because of the stupid rule but tears were gathering in her eyes. None of it made sense.

“Why” she whispered to herself

“Why would any of you do it to her?” This time Seonghwa sounded angry and ready to flip the table.

But none of you got the chance to defend yourself as the planchette moved once more as if to answer his question. Taunting him.

‘FUN’

Heart racing, you grew uncomfortable with every passing second, with every answers. You didn’t want to believe that something was really answering you, but you couldn’t ignore the sick feeling in your stomach nor could you ignore the feeling of being watched. Just like ten damn years ago.

Before any of your friends could react to the last answer, you leaned closer to the board, ready for the only question you could come out with. “Are you the one from 10 years ago?”

Deep inside you, you already knew the answer, you just didn’t want to admit it.

‘YES’

‘MISSED ME?’

It left you speechless and shaking.

Luckily for you, Soojin decided to take the matter in her hands. She took a deep breath and with a steady voice spoke again. “Thank you for your help. Goodbye.”

None of you spoke for a moment, still eying the board, almost as if you expected the planchette to move on its own. But it didn’t and you started breathing again.

“So. Who thought it was a good idea?”

❀

You were late. Like very, very late. And you couldn’t explain it. If there was one thing you were well known about it was that you were never late, you made sure of it. Whether it was to meet with your friends or work related you were either on time or you would come up earlier than intended. But today, somehow you were late.

You didn’t hear your first alarm. Or the second or the third. No matter how loud it rang, you just didn’t hear it and you couldn’t explain it either. You checked your phone twice before going to bed, just by habits and to make sure that you had them all activated. They were. So what happened?

You felt stressed and angry with yourself. If only it was the only problem. You could, eventually, get over the fact that you missed your alarms and that you were running late but apparently it wasn’t enough. To add to your misery, you couldn’t find your keys. You knew you have left them in the hall, like every day since you moved in.

And yet they were missing.

“For fuck’s sake!” You groaned in frustration, ruffling your hair in pure despair. You were losing precious minutes and it was absolutely driving you crazy. 

You went through your bag one more time, in case you had somehow put them back in (that would have been odd). With no luck.

“Fine.” You told yourself, resigned. “Breathe, Y/N, breathe. It’s okay.”

There wasn’t much you could do at this point and you couldn’t lose any more precious minutes. You quickly typed a message to Soojin, asking her to bring the spare keys.

You grabbed your bag and your jacket and left, slamming the door a little too hard behind you.

You swore you heard a chuckle.

❀

By the time you got to your office you were one hour late. To say that your arrival didn’t go unnoticed would be an understatement. Some of your colleagues joked about your lateness, some simply stared and some completely ignored you which you didn’t mind at all.

“Rough morning?” Minhyuk interrupted your thoughts by putting a cup of coffee right under your nose.

The combination of coffee and Minhyuk made you instantly forget about your shitty morning and made you smile. How could you say no to a coffee brought by your crush?

“My savior.” You beamed at him. You grabbed the warm cup and brought it closer to your face. “I need it so badly.”

“Yeah, you look like you do.” He said with a smirk, teasing you.

“Are you trying to tell me I look like shit?” You feigned being offended. You and Minhyuk had been friends for more than four years; he was the one that welcomed you in the company and showed you everything. It wasn’t hard to like him when he was so friendly and considerate. Actually, you didn’t know a single soul who didn’t like him.

“I would never.” He defended himself but then his smile turned into a frown. “What happened?”

“That’s actually a good question.” You sincerely told him as you took a sip of your hot coffee. “I slept through my alarms and then couldn’t find my keys.”

Minhyuk hummed in understanding. “Oh how we love this kind of morning.”

“Cheers to that.” You raised your cup and chuckled.

“Y/N? Sorry to interrupt guys.” Minji, the best boss in history, called for you. She gave the two of you a small, knowing smile (you wished she would stop playing the match-maker). “Quick question. Did you finish the preparation for the presentation?”

“I did. I’ll forward it to you.” If only things were that simple.

“Hold on.” You told Minhyuk.

What were the odds that your day could actually get any shittier? The folder that you had prepared last week was empty, all files erased. Your face paled as you double checked and still couldn’t find any trace of your files. “You got to be shitting me.”

Minhyuk leaned over your shoulder to have a look, a glance was enough to understand your problem. “Call the IT, maybe they can recover the files for you.”

You weren’t a believer but you dared to hope that someone would hear your prayer.

❀

You woke up screaming, body covered in cold sweat, heart roaring in your ears. It took you a moment to calm down, to reassure yourself. You were in your room, in your bed. There were no spirits haunting you, following you wherever you went. There were no spirits trying to talk to you while looking dark and dangerous.

No. you were safe. At home.

Hand on your chest, you closed your eyes and concentrated on your breathing. Inhale, exhale, repeat. You didn’t know how long it took you, every time you thought you had regained control over your body and your emotions, images of the ugly ‘thing’ chasing you, screaming at you, would pop in your mind.

From the moment you fell asleep and started dreaming, you knew it was just another nightmare, nothing unusual. At least you thought so until you couldn’t wake up. No matter how many times you told yourself to wake up, you couldn’t open your eyes.

You checked your phone, only to see that it was three in the morning – you still had plenty of time to get back to sleep. You could, but the memory of the nightmare was still too fresh and you were scared to have another one.

“What should I do.” You pondered out loud, ruffling your hair in frustration.

A chuckle echoed in the room. It was faint which made you pause. Either your tired mind was imagining things (and you hoped it was the case) or someone had broken in while you were sleeping (unlikely). With shaky hand you reached for the lamp and switched the light on.

Just like you expected (or more like hoped) there was nothing wrong with your room and there was definitely nobody watching you from the corner of your room. Clearly, it was better for you to go back to sleep.

Before you go crazy.

❀

There were people that were naturally clumsy and then, there were those who were just unlucky. You were neither. Or at least you believed so. But after a week of very unlucky and upsetting events, you wondered if maybe you were actually part of those people.

The incidents with your keys happened a few more times, except this time you didn’t bother looking for them, deciding that maybe you were just too distracted and moved them without actually remembering it.

Maybe.

Spilling coffee all over your white blouse, tripping over on the stairs and almost breaking your leg, a guy trying to steal your bag (and got a nice punch from you in return), you could go on with the list of incidents that happened in just one week. You should be terrified but all you could think about was ‘thank god, it was finally Friday’. No more incidents, no more work, you could finally stay at your place, safely and relaxing.

But not now. For now, you had other plans. When Soojin suggested to go clubbing you almost yelled your ‘yes’, way too happy to have a drink, or four, and dance. Better yet, Minhyuk chose to tag along. What a reward after such a week.

But maybe you shouldn’t have been so happy about his presence after all. No less than twenty minutes in the club and Minhyuk was gone, talking to some pretty brunette. Despite him being a good friend, Minhyuk was also a flirt, you knew it and yet you couldn’t help but feel jealous whenever he went for someone else.

You sighed in defeat and took a sip of your mojito.

Soojin nudged you playfully with her leg. “Maybe you should talk to him. You’ve been friends since day one.”

“I think it will be a waste of time.” You admitted as you glanced at him and the girl. He liked her. Well, maybe not like like, but he definitely intended to leave this place with her and judging by how touchy she was getting, you had no doubt it would work.

“He cares for you.” Soojin protested

“That he does, I know it. But he doesn’t see me as anything more. I’m not blind.” That was why Minhyuk was just a crush; a person you could have around and yet couldn’t have at the same time. There were days it bothered you, like tonight.

You glanced one more time at the couple. Nope, you refused to let your jealousy get the better of you, you refused to mope when finally, you could enjoy yourself and maybe find someone with who to leave. Maybe.

You emptied your drink and went straight for the crowd, mingling with people. You closed your eyes, a small smile spread on your lips as you started moving your body, forgetting all about the day, forgetting about your troubles. You let the music guide your moves.

Soon enough, a guy joined you, hands on your hips, he pressed your body against his. You didn’t mind, at first, it was after all your goal to find yourself a man for the night, but quickly he got too touchy, touching places he shouldn’t without your consent.

“I don’t think so.” You told the guy as you faced him, frowning and ready to punch him if needed.

“Oh come on.” He laughed, unfazed by your annoyance. “You were asking for it.”

The urge to punch him was getting stronger and stronger. You scoffed at his reply. “Get lost.”

Apparently, he didn’t like your answer. He took a step forward, hand outstretched ready to grab your wrist. He didn’t get a chance.

Despite your annoyance and your full attention on the man before you, you couldn’t ignore the sudden presence behind you. Not simply people dancing, but someone standing right behind you. Someone wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you against a firm torso. You blinked, confused.

“I don’t think my girlfriend likes your attention.” A very nice and charming voice echoed from behind you.

“Your girlfriend was asking for it.” The man snickered and eyed the two of you.

Despite his remark (that annoyed you deeply), you noticed how he took a step back, ready to flee. Whoever was holding you made a rather strong impression on the man which made you only curious about him.

“Fuck off.” Your savior growled. A deep and menacing growl.

It worked.

You almost laughed at how quick the man left, mumbling under his nose. Didn’t need to be a genius to guess what he was saying.

“Better?” The man let go of your waist and took a step back, giving you some space.

You turned to face him. You didn’t know what you expected to see after hearing his voice but clearly not that. The man, the savior was ridiculously hot. There was no way this man could be human. Pretty eyes, sharp jaw, definitely kissable lips, black hair. And damn the lovely mole under his eye. To say you were mesmerized would be the understatement of the century.

You cleared your throat. “Thank you.”

His smile turned from gentle to devilish at the sound of your voice and the look on your face – you felt exposed as if he could read your mind. “You’re welcome, my lady. Now shall we?” He outstretched his hand, inviting you to dance.

How in the world could you say no?

The moment you placed your hand in his, he yanked you with so much strength against him, you almost fell in his arms. He didn’t let go of your hand for a moment which seemed like eternity to you. You almost forgot where you were, almost forgot you weren’t alone in the room. It certainly felt like it.

Being so close to his face felt intoxicating.  You didn’t want him to let go of you; you didn’t want to move. In fact, more you looked into those dark, beautiful eyes, more you wanted to press your body fully against him and kiss him. Those stupidly, inviting lips.

His smile grew wider, once more you had the sensation that he knew exactly what was going on in your pretty little head. But instead of actually giving you exactly what you wanted, he spun you in his arms and pressed you hard against him.

Your breath hitched in your throat at the sensation of his warm, strong body. Despite your clothes being in the way (and oh how much you wished it wasn’t), his warmth completely enveloped you.

One hand on your hip, the other on your stomach, he started moving in the rhythm of the music, guiding your body. You closed your eyes to fully enjoy the music, to enjoy his touch. Without fully realizing it, you pressed yourself a little harder against him which earnt you a groan right near your ear.

“Easy there.” He warned you, his fingers gently digging into your hip.

You shuddered in response. You were too aware of his fingers, of his lips near your ear. You wanted to feel his lips on your skin. Desperately.

You couldn’t remember when was the last time a guy made you feel this way. He hadn’t even properly touch you (yet, hopefully) and yet you couldn’t ignore how uncomfortably wet you got. You wanted him, badly.

Without even knowing his name. 

“There you are!” Minhyuk’s familiar voice brought you back. It was almost like his gentle voice broke a spell.

Your savior instantly let go of your body; you almost whimpered at the loss of his heat, cursing silently your friend for interrupting.

“I was looking for you everywhere. One moment you were by the bar and then nothing.” He eyed you with a frown, almost as if he was worried for you.

It was funny how at the beginning of the night you would have been delighted to hear him, to see him worrying over you. But now? You were almost annoyed.

You glanced at your new partner. He smiled at you, cute dimples showing. Could he get any handsomer? His smile, however, faded the moment his eyes landed on Minhyuk. Oh how quickly his face transformed; he didn’t look like a nice guy any longer. His eyes were hard, face dark and if you didn’t know better, you would have thought he was about to pounce on Minhyuk.

“I-“ You faced Minhyuk, unsure of what you wanted to say. Did you want to explain yourself? Did you want to tell him to leave the two of you alone?

“Do you want to leave?” Minhyuk asked instead

You glanced over your shoulder only to see that your savior was nowhere to be found. That was quick.

“Yeah.”

❀

You knew you were dreaming because you found yourself in an empty dark street. All the lights were out and the town was dead silent which simply couldn’t happen if it wasn’t a dream.

Your city was always full of life whether it was day or night, it didn’t matter. Therefore, you decided that it was another of those weird dreams. You almost expected this dream to turn into another nightmare; maybe another monster would pop out of nowhere and start chasing you. You almost laughed at the thought. How could you be so ready for another nightmare?

It didn’t happen.

You looked around the street. Your only source of light happened to be the moon which would have been romantic if it wasn’t for the silence. It was too silent. No honks, no animals, you couldn’t even hear the wind. The town seemed simply dead.

Uneasy, you started walking down the street, maybe in hope to find something that made sense with this dream, maybe in hope that eventually the dream would change or maybe you would simply wake up.

None of it happened. No matter how long you walked (which felt like hours), nothing changed. Your surroundings stayed exactly the same. Same street, same gloomy atmosphere.

Until it did.

You halted in your track, body turning cold. There was definitely something wrong with the dream. You couldn’t exactly pinpoint why it suddenly felt like you were in danger but it did. You wrapped your arms tightly around yourself, trying to reassure yourself, to keep your mind clear. Whatever was about to happen, you could deal with it.

And then, you felt it. A warm breath caressed your nape causing goosebumps all over your body.

“Hello friend.”

That voice, you knew it, yet at the same time it sounded different. You forced your body to come out of shock and move as far as possible from the person behind you.

The man that stood in the middle of the street looked just as beautiful as in your memory except for the fact that he felt completely different. You gawked at him, hands shaking, you couldn’t stop yourself from feeling like you were in danger and you needed to run.

Whenever he could read your mind or not - he smiled wickedly, eyes glowing bright red. He licked his lips, eyes never leaving yours. You were a prey and he would not let you leave so easily.

“Who are you?” You finally found your voice and asked. A part of you didn’t want to know who he was. It couldn’t be the same man; the one you met at the club didn’t look or sound that dangerous, the one before you on the other hand felt like pure evil.

His wicked smile only grew at your question. Instead of answering you, he got out of your sight for a second, only to reappear right in front of you. He grabbed your arm, tightly, his hand burning your skin.

“Don’t worry, doll, you’ll find out very soon.” Was the last thing you heard.

❀

Your eyes snapped open; a scream of pure terror left your lips. Heart hampering in your chest, you panted, badly, unable to control your breathing. You shut your eyes tightly and counted till you regained some calmness.

And here you thought dreaming about spirits was terrifying. This dream felt too real. The fear, the pain, even now that you were fully awake you still felt it. At the memory of the pain, you switched the light on and quickly rolled your sleeve; there was no way any of it was real. And yet a bright red handprint was there.

“No, no, no, no.” You repeated to yourself while rubbing your arm. It wasn’t real. You were completely fine. Or maybe, you did hurt yourself but only because the dream was so intense.

You took a deep breath, your gaze locked on the bright mark.

You were not losing your mind.

❀

Thinking that after a long weekend of resting and relaxing your awful dreams and episodes of hurting yourself would stop was a mistake. You hadn’t gotten a proper sleep for a week and it was slowly driving you crazy. You didn’t know what was the cause of those nightmares. No, that was a lie, your life took a tragic turn from the moment you used the Ouija board.

For a while, you refused to think about that night, for the sake of your sanity. However, with the past events it made it harder not to think about it. Something was definitely going on and your brain was trying to make you understand.

You sighed for the hundredth time this morning. You were tired, dizzy and in big need of sleep. You could barely concentrate on your work. Talk with people? Hardly possible; you heard them and yet couldn’t fully process what they were saying.

Soojin pulled a chair beside you and faced you, a scowl on her face. “Want to talk about it?”

Despite her sitting close to you, you barely heard her. “What?”

“You look tired as hell. I think in all our years of friendship I’ve never seen you like this.”

This simple statement brought tears to your eyes. Soojin was right, you had never felt this exhausted in your life.

“I can’t sleep.” You finally admitted.

There were plenty of disadvantages with not being able to sleep. Obviously, the tiredness was the main problem but it wasn’t the only issue. No, being deprived of sleep made you cranky as hell, unable to concentrate on anything and the worst was probably you seeing things that couldn’t be real therefore weren’t really there.

“What do you mean you can’t sleep? As in insomnia?” Soojin leaned closer and touched your forehead. “Girl, you’re burning.”

Fever? Oh yeah, another problem to deal with.

“I keep having nightmares. I wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and sweating. Sometimes I wake up with wounds on my arms.” You rolled your sleeves to show the different handprints. Not all of them came from the man that looked like your savior, but oddly enough his stayed when others faded, eventually.

Soojin gasped loudly at the sight of the different red marks on your arms. She grabbed your hands, gently tug to get a better look. “This is insane.”

“You tell me.”

❀

Back to present

‘Move’ you told your body. You had to move, to put some space between you and the demon. So, you ran and switched the light on, almost as if you expected the man to disappear, to prove to your tired brain that it was all a hallucination. And to your surprise, as soon as light came, he was nowhere to be seen.

Should you have felt relieved? Definitely. Were you relieved? Not really. Rightfully so.

“Boo.” A voice came right from behind you.

You shrieked, startled which only made him laugh as you stumbled. A hand on your heart, you didn’t think for a moment you would survive the night with his presence – he was driving you crazy and not in a nice way.

“You can’t be real.” You muttered half to yourself half to him. Despite all the evidences right before your eyes, you still couldn’t come with terms that all this time it was him and he was not human. It just didn’t make sense.

“Oh, but I am, love.” He purred, clearly satisfied with your reaction. He was patient, for a demon at least, and now that he had finally showed himself to you, he couldn’t help but enjoy the moment a little too much. “You’re such a sweet little thing.”

“No, no, no.” You shook your head in denial. “I refuse.”

He chuckled and took a step forward while you stepped back, refusing to let him come any closer to you. As if you could stop him. He smiled wickedly at you; he kept walking towards you, unbothered by your lame attempt at staying away from you. You realized too late that he had you trapped between him and the wall.

“Nice attempt.” He mocked, leaning closer.

His face was inches from yours and despite your initial fear, you couldn’t help yourself but admire his handsome face. A demon was supposed to represent a sin and the ‘man’ standing before you was definitely a walking sin. It shouldn’t be allowed.

You pressed yourself even harder against the wall, wishing it could swallow you whole and help you escape from the demon.

“You know, I didn’t expect you to play again with an oujia board. Not after last time.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Why? Because it’s fun!”

“Fun?” You repeated, irritated. All this time you thought you were losing your mind, only to find out that your problems were all because of one person. Just because someone thought it was fun.

Outraged, you forgot for a moment that he wasn’t a simple man but a demon, and pushed him as hard as you could. “Fun? I’m not some toy you can play with! Don’t you ever dare mess with me again!”

Your little outburst took him out of guard. He saw fire in your eyes; you weren’t scared of him any longer and were ready to fight him with all your being if it meant to get your life under control.

He was tempted to push your buttons, to see just how much you could endure before losing yourself.

“Get out.” You ordered

As much as you wanted him to leave you alone, you didn’t believe that he would actually listen to you, he just didn’t seem like someone who would listen to other’s wishes.

But he did.

❀

You woke up this morning feeling refreshed and suspiciously at peace. No weird dreams, no nightmares and no demon waiting for you. It was refreshing. You wanted to believe that it meant it was over, no more troubles, no more weird incidents. Was it too much to ask?

For the past two days, you tried not think too much about the demon, the terribly handsome demon but you quickly realized it was impossible. You couldn’t simply erase his face from your memory and even less forget how warm his skin felt against yours. You hated yourself for thinking about him in this way, from being so affected and seeing how your treacherous body reacted to him. Instead of despising him for how vulnerable he made you feel by haunting you, you found yourself wishing he had done something else.

“You’re crazy, Y/N.” You told yourself

You sighed and closed your eyes to enjoy the last drops of water. A good night of sleep and a nice warm shower and you felt like you were ready to fight the world. You hadn’t felt this way for days – it felt good. 

You stepped out of your shower, humming to yourself and stopped. Leaning against the door was the demon. His arms, and damn those muscular arms, crossed over his chest, he was openly staring at your naked body, smirking.

“The hell!” You screamed and grabbed your towel to hide your body. “Get out!”

Your anger didn’t faze him as he remained against the door, his eyes roaming over your half-hidden body. His eyes lingered on your legs and then slowly moved to your face. He licked his lips hungrily. You were definitely a sweet thing he wanted to play with.

You gulped nervously under his gaze. You wanted to hold onto your anger and outrage but his eyes and the way he licked his lips made it almost impossible. Your body warmed up instantly, reacting to him in a way it shouldn’t.

“I said, get out!” You repeated but even to your ears you didn’t sound convincing.

He chuckled and of course didn’t listen to your order. Not this time. Instead, he walked towards you, a predator getting closer to its prey.

“Why should I when I have such a nice view?” He stopped inches from you.

He was too close; you could feel his warmth. Or maybe you were simply too aware of him. Instead of trying to get away from him like you should, your feet stayed rooted to the floor, eyes locked on him.

“Why are you here?” You managed to ask, your grip on your towel tightening as if your life depended on it. Your life certainly didn’t but your sanity definitely did.

The man before you smiled wickedly at your question. He put a finger under your chin and tilted your head up. “Why? Isn’t it obvious, doll? You wanted me here.”

Your gasped at his touch. “I-I didn’t.”

“No?” He sounded amused as he leaned dangerously closer. His absolutely kissable lips so close, all you needed was lean in and you could taste them. “You little liar.”

It was unfair how enthralled you were with him. He didn’t do anything to deserve this kind of reaction from you, in fact you should be screaming and kicking but no, you let him control you.

You wanted to defend yourself, excuses on the tip of your tongue and yet no words left your lips because deep inside you knew he was right - you were a liar.

“What do you want?”

“What do you think I want, doll?” He hummed, his finger moving slowly, feather like touches, from your neck to your collarbone.

‘Me’ you wanted to say but that would be playing his game and you didn’t want to. Not so easily.

As his finger was getting dangerously closer to the edge of your towel, you tightened your grip in case he tried something.

“Why are you trying so hard to resist me?” He asked, his fingers halting on your towel. “Is it because of that guy? Do you think he can fuck you better than me?”

The mention of Minhyuk was what broke the hold he had on you. You scoffed and pushed him away from you.

“You need to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Controlling me.” You refused to elaborate, to admit that you felt a strong attraction.

He chuckled at your assumption. “Oh doll, you think I’m trying to control you? I don’t need to.” He eyed you from head to toe, “My presence enhances your feelings, that’s all. I can do nothing about it.”

He had to be lying, you told yourself. It was easier to think that he was the origin of this attraction but judging by how calm he was, you had to come with terms that maybe it was your own fault.

You bit on your lips, frustrated with him and with yourself.

“What’s your name?” You finally asked. You couldn’t keep calling him ‘the demon’ and considering how often you had been seeing him (and you guessed it was just the beginning) you might as well know his name.

“I have many names,” He started

“Spare me with that.” You interrupted, not caring any longer if you sounded rude or that you were provoking him. You just didn’t care anymore.

He rolled his eyes in response. “Wooyoung. You can call me Wooyoung.”

You liked his name, but that, of course, you kept to yourself.

“Great, Wooyoung. Now get out and please don’t come back.”

❀

When Minhyuk invited you to his birthday party, you expected it to be small with his group of friends. How wrong you were.

His flat was crowded with so many unfamiliar faces, it made you pause for a moment and wonder if you were in the right place. You knew, of course, he was a social butterfly but not to this extent.

For a moment you tried to look for Minhyuk, he was the birthday boy after all, but with the dim light and the crowd, it made your mission impossible. With a long sigh, you chose to go to the improvised bar instead, judging that you would eventually find him. Or he would find you.

Luckily for you, you didn’t stay alone for long. Without surprise, you found Soojin sipping her beer by the bar, watching people with her typical judging gaze (you smiled at that).

“I knew I’d find you here.” She grabbed another bottle and handed it to you. “Thanks babe.”

“You’re finally here! I’m bored.” Soojin whined and wrapped her arm around yours.

“You? Bored? Now that doesn’t sound like you at all.”

She nudged you with her hips. “I didn’t expect Minhyuk to turn his flat into a night club, too many people and they look all dull.”

“Oh come on, you can’t be sure of that. Have you tried talking to any of them?”

Soojin completely ignored your comment (but stuck her tongue out) and instead observed your face. “You look better.”

That you did. Wooyoung was nowhere to be seen which resulted in you sleeping like a baby. No more nightmares, no more hallucinations, it was great. “Yeah. Back to normal.”

Or almost.

“There comes my favorite girl!” Before you could even react to Minhyuk’s voice, his arms were already around you, bringing you into a big, warm hug.

“Finally!” Soojin raised her bottle, “Happy birthday, asshole!”

“Lovely, as always.” Minhyuk let go of you but only for a moment, he had one hand on your hip, rubbing gently as he faced your friend. “But thank you. I’m glad you came.” And then he looked at you. “Especially you.”

Soojin rolled her eyes, disgusted with the sudden display of affection (that took you of guard). You, on the other hand, were simply confused at his rather odd behavior. Yes, you were close and of course you were happy with his comment, but he had to be drunk to suddenly be so touchy.

“Minhyuk, are you drunk?” You nudged him playfully, putting some space between you two.

It was odd how weeks ago, you would have let him touch you freely, and yet tonight it didn’t feel right. You blamed Wooyoung for this too, he had completely fucked up with your brain.

“No!” He protested too quickly and giggled, “Okay, maybe a little.” He cupped your face between his hands and leaned closer. “You look so pretty, Y/N.”

“Oh my god. I should definitely film him. That some nice blackmail material.” Soojin laughed

However, before she could do that, Minhyuk’s hold on your face tightened making you wince. His eyes were no longer on your face but at something or someone behind you. You had a sick feeling that someone was indeed staring intensely at you – a cold shiver ran down your spine.

“What is he doing here?” Minhyuk groaned more to himself than to you but you heard him nevertheless.

His question got you curious. Who was behind you? And especially, who could turn the sweet and drunk Minhyuk into a frowning, upset guy?

“Did you bring him with you?” He asked you

“Wh-what?” It took you by surprise. You removed his hands from your face and glanced over your shoulder.

At the sight of Wooyoung standing by the window, your heart missed a beat. He looked terribly attractive in all black; black jeans, black turtleneck and rolled sleeves revealing his strong, veiny arms. He smirked at the attention, clearly unfazed with Minhyuk’s glare.

You were in trouble.

“No.” You finally answered, averting your eyes from Wooyoung. “Why would I bring him? I don’t know him.” Oh Y/N, you were such a little liar, Wooyoung was right.

“The hell.” Minhyuk muttered under his breath. He ignored your response. Eyes on Wooyoung, he left both you and Soojin, walking straight to Wooyoung with clenched fist.

“Minhyuk, no!” You thought you knew drunk Minhyuk, but apparently you didn’t. If he was looking for a fight with someone ‘normal’, you would have let him (maybe not) but you worried for him since he was picking a fight with a demon, without even knowing it. “Bloody hell.”

“Well, what a surprise.” Soojin commented. She put her now empty bottle on the table and got by your side. She followed your gaze and whistled at the sight. “I’m not going to comment on Minhyuk’s behavior, but damn the guy he’s facing? He’s hella hot.”

Yes, he was but you didn’t say it out loud.

“Oh shit.” You gasped as Minhyuk grabbed Wooyoung by his collar, bringing him closer to him.

Without even realizing it, your body moved on its own in their direction.

“Y/N!” Soojin quickly grabbed your arm and pulled you back, worried of what you were about to do. “Don’t.”

Your eyes went back and forth between Soojin and the two men. You bit on your lips, unsure of what you were supposed to do. Did you want to watch them fight? Did you want to save Minhyuk from Wooyoung? Or did you just want to make sure nothing happens to Wooyoung? The later seemed so impossible, and yet your heart was beating crazily.

“Let them be.” Soojin advised you and shook her head. “Men.”

For a second, you caught Wooyoung’s gaze, he seemed completely unbothered with Minhyuk’s display of strength and anger. The moment his eyes met yours, he smiled, a devilish smile. Oh he was up to nothing good.

‘Please don’t.” You mouthed hoping he could get your message.

Wooyoung got effortlessly rid of Minhyuk, one swift move and he was free. You expected Minhyuk to fight back but he took you off guard by walking away.

Wooyoung glanced at you one last time before vanishing from your sight in a blink.

“The hell.”

❀

“I wonder what people would say about you if they knew you let a demon play with you.” Wooyoung chuckled before planting another kiss on your inner thigh, enjoying the contact with your skin.

You whimpered at the touch, desperate for more. He had been toying with you for what felt like hours. Hands traveling down your body; every touch setting your skin on fire. If you were in your right state of mind, you would have been embarrassed by how whiny and wet he got you. Instead, you tried to wriggle under him, to get closer, to make him stop playing.

“Wouldn’t they say that you’re a little whore, hm?” He hummed against your skin, lips slowly moving from your knee back to your inner thigh, getting awfully close to where you needed him and yet never giving you what you wanted.

“I don’t care!” You snapped, patience wearing thin. You tried to grab him, to push him against you but Wooyoung was faster and so much stronger. With one swift move he was back, hovering over you with your arms completely pinned above your head.

“Don’t think so, doll.” He smirked at how fucked you looked without him doing much. You were completely at his mercy and he knew he had little to do before you would start begging him to take you. Wooyoung leaned closer, lips so close, so tempting – you wanted him to kiss you, so you tried to move but he pulled back, toying with you. “Tsk, so impatient, doll.”

“You’re an asshole.” Wouldn’t it be so nice to kick him just to get rid of your frustration? It would be, but of course, you did none of that. Instead, you groaned. “You can’t keep doing that.”

Wooyoung smiled in response, watching you like a prey, squirming under him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You would have punched him if you could, instead, you nudged him as hard as you could with your leg to make a point (sadly, it only made him laugh; a very cute and annoying laugh).

“Wooyoung, I swear-“ He didn’t let you finish, instead, he, rudely, interrupted you with a kiss. A hot and needy kiss. For all his talk, and his self-control, you found out he was just as desperate as you judging by the strength of the kiss. He let go of your wrists and immediately you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him even closer to you, pressing your body against his to deepen the kiss. You let your fingers rake through his hair before pulling at them harshly (he deserved it) making him groan against your lips.

“Know that you’re going to regret that, doll.” He warned you, biting your lip.

“You’re all bark and no bite, babe.” You mocked, fully realizing that pushing his buttons would either get you in trouble (because come on he was a demon) or you would finally get what you wanted.

Wooyoung’s pulled from you but his fingers found your chin, thumb caressing your lower lip. His eyes glowed brighter than ever at your daring words. “You’re so going to eat your words, love.”

And just like that, he slid slowly down your body, eyes never leaving yours. He took it slowly, gently, too gently considering how threatening he wanted to sound, but maybe you should have paid more attention to his eyes, to see the mischievous glimpse.

Nestled between your thighs, he bit harshly your thigh, making sure to leave a mark. A complain was already on the tip of your tongue (because come on, how long was he planning on playing with you) before finally, as if he sensed what you were about to do, you felt the press of his lips on your clit. It was so soft, you could barely register and yet you felt a wave of pleasure. Finally.

Something that started softly quickly turned into something else. Mouth working between your legs, he was ruthless; sucking, lapping, he knew exactly what he was doing, turning you into a moaning mess. You grabbed his hair, tugging at his locks and pushing his head closer to your heat.

“Wooyoung,” You moaned

“All mine.” Wooyoung growled, a very animalistic (that got you even wetter if it was possible) growl. “He will never have you.”

Feeling completely overwhelmed, you couldn’t proceed his words, not his claim on you nor the mention of ‘he’.

“Look at me, doll.” He suddenly stopped and hovered over you. Gently, he stroked your face, almost lovingly, if he was capable of that. “Now, look at him. Look and tell him he would never have you.”

Puzzled, you followed his gaze only for your eyes to widen in shock. Minhyuk was sitting in the corner of your room, unmoving, with his fists clenched. Your eyes locked for a second and you knew, deep inside, that you should be ashamed, you should push Wooyoung off you, but you couldn’t. You tore your eyes off him and looked at Wooyoung, staring at this odd demon.

“If you stop, I swear I’m going to punch you.” You warned him

You couldn’t tell him what he wanted to hear, not wanting to flatter his already big ego, but your words and your eagerness seemed to be enough. He glanced at Minhyuk; a triumphant smile plastered all over his face – he had won this round.

Wooyoung spread your legs wider as he went back, lips around your clit, sucking hard. Your legs started to shake with all the attention; you arched your back as you felt so close to your release. So close.

Until he stopped.

❀

You jolted in your bed, sweating and feeling incredibly hot and sticky. No wonder, considering your dream. You knew beforehand that you having a wet dream about Wooyoung meant he was back with his games and you weren’t sure how you felt about it. Frustrated? Amused? Scared? All at once.

“Fuck you!” You finally let out loudly, confident that he was hiding in the darkness of your room, watching your misery with amusement.

Oh how right you were.

Wooyoung appeared right beside you, laying on your bed, completely unbothered with your cute, according to him, outburst.  “Hi doll.”

“You!” You pointed an accusing finger at him, “Stupid demon! Stop messing with me!”

Wooyoung chuckled in response, shifting on the bed so he could face you better. “You know, doll, you’re the first human who dares to insult me and yet is still alive.”

This sentence alone should have shut you up and shrink away from him, however, considering your level of frustration, you forgot all about the fact that he was a sinful creature that could probably snap your neck in a second.

“So what? How does it feel?” You snapped back instead.

Wooyoung quirked a brow at you. He had to admit he was pleasantly surprised with your sudden confidence. He took all his time to answer your question, eyes roaming your half-exposed body; from your exposed legs, to your exposed shoulder (since your long t-shirt refused to stay on place), to your lips. Those sweet lips. He licked his lips, eyes not leaving your lips.

“Aroused.” He admitted, smiling shamelessly

Whatever witty comeback you had, died the moment he confessed. The little shit surely knew how to leave you speechless and confused. How much you hated him (that was half true but he didn’t need to know that).

Realizing all too late how exposed you were, you grabbed your blanket, in panic, and pulled it over your body. It was stupid and completely pointless but it still made you feel safer. Just a tiny bit.

“Really, doll?” He laughed and grabbed the blanket. You gripped it tightly, preparing for him to tug at it (as if you had a chance in winning). Without surprise, he yanked it from you, exposing your body once more to his eyes. He licked his lips, admiring the view. “You’re so sweet.”

Wooyoung moved slowly, maybe on purpose or maybe to give you the chance to push him away or to scream at him. You did none of that, hypnotize with his predator-like grace as he got closer to you. His hands found their way to your thighs, featherlike touches that sent an all too familiar wave of pleasure. You shivered in both fear and excitement. Fear, because your body was too responsive to his touch. Excitement, because you wanted to see how far he was ready to go with you.

Gently, he pulled your legs apart to nestle between them. He inhaled sharply; with just one look he knew how, embarrassingly, wet you were. “Sweet. I wonder who got you this wet, love.”

“Definitely not you.” You stubbornly commented. “But please, do touch me.”

To your utter surprise, a genuine smile spread on Wooyoung’s face and you had to admit that to see such sincerity on his handsome face terrified you way more than his usual expression.

“Not today, doll.” He kissed your forehead and then, everything turned black.

❀

“Okay, what’s up with your cranky ass?” Soojin plopped on the chair in front of you, frowning at you.

It was finally lunch break and you chose to meet at your favorite restaurant near your work place. It was crowded, like always, but luckily for you, your favorite table was free (in fact, you suspected your favorite waitress reserved it especially for you). You had the perfect view on the window, watching people go on with their lives.

Soojin’s voice brought you back to reality; averting your eyes from the street, you looked at your friend who clearly was concerned with your state of mind.

“Nothing.” It was obviously a lie and Soojin didn’t buy it.

As much as it pained you to admit it, you were indeed cranky, borderline annoyed with everybody but also with yourself. And Wooyoung. Especially with him. The little shit.

You couldn’t believe he used, whatever power he had, on you. Worse yet, he dared to leave you alone and frustrated, after making sure you were so wound up. Every time, the dream crossed your mind, it made you grind your teeth and clench your fist (and maybe a tad bit excited). You promised to yourself that the next time you see him; you would make him pay (as if you had any power on him).

“Is it about Minhyuk?” Soojin wondered

“Who?” You blinked, taken aback by how quick you answered and realized your mistake. “No.”

Soojin arched an amused brow at you. There was no doubt, she was surprised with the idea of you having another guy on mind. “There’s another guy I’m not aware about?”

‘Shit.’ You bit on your cheek, forcing yourself not to slap yourself. If only you weren’t so distracted, then maybe you wouldn’t find yourself in this situation.

“I can’t believe you kept it to yourself!” Soojin whined and playfully slapped your arm. “I’m your best friend! How dare you?”

You sighed in defeat. She was right, you weren’t the kind of people who kept things from her best friend, and definitely not a guy. But really, what could you tell her about Wooyoung? ‘Hi, I’ve been haunted by a demon ever since we had a séance at your place. He’s annoying but actually hella hot and I want to fuck him.’ You couldn’t tell her that.

“I’m sorry. I just-“ You started to say, trying to find the right words to justify yourself. But really, you had no valid excuses.

“Come on, I’m listening.” She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look as stern as possible but her eyes were glowing with mischief. She was ready to laugh and tease the hell out of you.

You took a deep breath, answer on the tip of your tongue and then, forgot all about it the moment your eyes landed on the person standing outside, on the sidewalk. You couldn’t believe your eyes. Just when you thought, you couldn’t get any angrier, Wooyoung proved you wrong.

“Oh you piece of shit.” You groaned under your nose.

Without giving any explanations to Soojin or even giving her time to react, you ran outside. Eyes locked, you forgot all about the people around you or the fact that crossing the road without looking was probably the dumbest thing you had ever done, but your annoyance silenced the rational and reasonable part of you. All you could think about was getting to him as fast as you could (and before he could vanish) and share a piece of your mind (and if you could punch his smug face, it would be a bonus).

But were you lucky? Not when the stupid demon was concerned. Before you could reach him and express your annoyance, you tripped. Like a damn fool. Before your pretty face could meet the rather dirty pavement, Wooyoung caught you. One hand held your forearm while the other was pressed against your back.

“Someone’s too happy to see me.” Wooyoung chuckled

You should be appalled by how quickly your treacherous body responded to him; a laugh and a touch and you felt your insides melt. There was definitely something wrong with you. Instead of punching him like you initially planned, you found yourself staring at him, lips slightly parted, you were completely hypnotized and there was no saving.

“Cat got your tongue, doll?”

You cleared your throat, embarrassed with your own reaction, and punched his chest. Lamely.

“Asshole.”

“Lovely as always.”

Wooyoung’s smile was terrifying. Not because it was actually ugly and horrifying – far from it. But as a demon, he shouldn’t be allowed to look both cute and handsome while smiling; wide smile with absolutely adorable dimples – you had to fight the urge to poke his cheeks.

“You’re staring, doll.”

‘You too’, you wanted to say but no sound left your mouth. His closeness was making it hard for you, to think, to breathe. In fact, all you could do was stare and wonder what it would be like to kiss him.

“Y/N.” For the first time since you met him, he called you by your name and to say that you didn’t die a little inside would be a lie. You liked it. A little too much.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Soojin’s familiar and sweet voice echoed from behind you, causing you to jump and put some distance between you and Wooyoung. You looked at her, half dazed half guilty. You were in deep shit.

“Here.” She handed you your bag with a wicked smile that was definitely as evil as Wooyoung’s, promising you a very slow death if you dared not to call her later to spill the beans. “Take your afternoon off.”

❀

You had to admit that spending a whole afternoon with the person that used to haunt you was the weirdest thing you had ever done in your life. You should have been worried about your sanity for actually liking it, but instead of worrying about it, you chose to fully enjoy the moment and forget all about your anger.

Wooyoung, despite being a demon, an evil thing, was not what you imagined a demon to be. He was a natural flirt (you stopped counting how many times he made you blush), fond of pickup lines (and you were a big sucker for it), funny and sounded and acted like a normal human being. It was disconcerting but you enjoyed it too much to complain.

This was how you found yourself at your place, nestled cozily in your couch, watching Netflix and eating pizza. A normal, friendly activity you would say.

“I wonder,” You started as you shifted to watch Wooyoung. “How come a demon showed up when we were trying to talk to a spirit? Like, is it normal?”

Wooyoung, who was about to take another bite of his slice of pizza, halted. This was not a question he expected from you. He cleared his throat and quickly regained his composure. “I did not expect that.”

That made you smirk. “Did I take you off guard?” You were a tad proud, you had to admit.

“Wipe that proud smirk, doll.”

“Or what?”

Wooyoung pinched your arm in response, making you yelp and put some additional space between you, just in case he would try again. “Not nice.”

“Never said I was.” And just like that he took you once more by surprise as he stuck his tongue out. “As for your initial question, I felt a strong pull, almost as if I was being summoned. Obviously, I wasn’t. I was shocked to see two kids with an Ouija board.” He laughed at the memory.

Wooyoung could still picture your face, so stern and half annoyed with the actual game; one look at you and he could guess that you didn’t believe in spirits. Your friend, on the other hand, was so excited, waiting for something to happen. “You looked so stern; I could tell you didn’t believe in any of that.”

You snorted at that. Not so long ago you still didn’t believe in ghost and yet now you got all cozy with a demon.

Wooyoung grabbed gently your hand, playing with your fingers. “It was so tempting to scare you. And then imagine my surprise, ten years later, I felt the pull again and I just knew it was you.”

Hearing him talk about the pull made you feel a kind of way. You should feel annoyed that he had been messing with you, but instead you almost felt special.

“So, instead of talking to me, you decided to mess with my life.” You gave him your best stern look (but really all you wanted was to laugh).

Wooyoung smiled sheepishly at you. “Guilty. I couldn’t resist.”

You found yourself smiling back at him. “I have something else I want you to ask about.”

Wooyoung arched a brow, clearly someone had been particularly curious tonight – he didn’t mind. But once more, you took him by surprise; you moved swiftly from your spot only to get on top of him, straddling his thighs. Confident and with a playful smile plastered on your face, you wrapped your arms around his neck. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one who could play, you could too and judging by how tense he got, you won this round.

“You keep provoking me but you never really touch me.” You thought about the night he got you all bothered only to leave you alone. You thought about it over and over and you just couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t touch you.

Wooyoung closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. He should have guessed you would actually ask this question. He leaned closer to you and gently stroked your cheek with his thumb. “Because I’m a demon. It will leave a mark on you, taint you and I don’t want that for you.”

Your body reacted on its own by pressing your face into his hand. His words made your heart flutter; you had a handsome demon in your flat, sitting on him and instead of being evil like he was supposed to, he was being sweet and considerate. Honestly, you didn’t know whether you should cry or laugh. Were you growing fond of him? Absolutely.

“Don’t think I don’t want you, doll.” He grabbed your hips, grip so tight you were sure it would leave a bruise. He pressed you harder against him, making you feel him, making you understand just how much he wanted you. He was hard. Damn hard. You couldn’t stop yourself from moving, grinding against him.

Wooyoung’s eyes turned red as a groan escaped his lips. “Doll.”

Despite his warning, he didn’t stop you. He watched your every move, every little whimper that left your pretty parted lips. He watched the way you closed your eyes to enjoy the friction and how slowly you were losing yourself. It took him all his willpower not to flip you, get rid of those clothes and just pound into you until you were begging him to let you come.

“You’ll be the death of me, doll.”

❀

When you came to work this morning, you swore to yourself that you would concentrate on your work, finish everything on your to-do list so you could get home earlier and maybe have a nice night with your favorite demon. Unfortunately for you, despite all your willpower, it appeared your body wasn’t the only traitor in this story, your brain too. Every single time you tried to concentrate on something, images of Wooyoung would pop into your mind. Images of the two of you, cuddling, laughing – you were completely smitten.

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N. My sweet Y/N.” Soojin’s familiar voice brought you back from your dreams, back to reality. “Don’t think I forgot about you. You have so much to tell me about!” She plopped on the chair and grabbed your hands, her sweet smile turning into a wicked one – you gulped, nervous. You should have prepared yourself for your best friend’s question but clearly, your mind was somewhere far from here.

“I-“ You cleared your throat, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh now you don’t know? Should I refresh your mind then?” You didn’t really want her to remind you but that was not negotiable. “You, middle of the street and a hella handsome guy that looked kinda familiar but I can’t remember from where.” She paused, thought about it for a moment, “Does he have hot friends?”

You forgot all about the pressure just like that. You burst into laughter and ran your fingers through your hair. “I met him at a club.”

❀

Despite all your talk about being efficient today, you were anything but which resulted in you staying way too late at work. Sadly, for you, all your plans for the night seemed to be far away now.

You sighed, tired and half depressed. You loved your work, you really did, but sometimes, especially at busy times, you got easily overwhelmed. Because you loved your work, you would forget about yourself and would, without even realizing it, overwork yourself.

It was past nine when you found yourself walking from your work; the weather was lovely so instead of taking the bus, you chose to walk and enjoy the moment.

Without surprise, your thoughts quickly turned to Wooyoung, wondering if he would visit you tonight – you hoped he would. It worried you how badly you wanted to see him, to touch him, you shouldn’t be so attached to him for so many reasons. Being so close to him was dangerous and you were pretty sure nothing good would really come out of this odd, yet so heart fluttering relationship.

But could you really stop yourself? The answer was simple: no.

“Hey miss!” A man’s voice interrupted your trail of thoughts. Annoyed, you glanced at the group of men sitting on the stairs, looking like a they owned the world. You knew they were trouble with just one glance.

“This dress looks amazing on you.” Another commented

You closed your eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Inhale, exhale, repeat. ‘Keep walking. Ignore those idiots, you don’t need a fight.’ You told yourself, when really, all you wanted was to walk towards them and share a piece of your mind. With a nice punch. You did none of that, of course. For once in your life, you listened to the little voice that told you to walk away. Fast.

“Oh come on.” One of the men jumped from his place and quickly blocked your way. “Don’t be like that.”

You glared at the man before you, angrily. The audacity. You were growing more and more annoyed; fist clenched, all he needed was to make a step towards you and you wouldn’t hesitate to punch his face.

You still refused to answer him and apparently, he didn’t like it judging by the frown on his face. His friends quickly joined you, surrounding you. So maybe, you didn’t feel that confident anymore. It was one thing to deal with one idiot, but it was a whole other story if others were involved. You could fight, but not so many of them at the same time.

If from outside you managed to look tough, inside you were worried.

“What’s wrong, missy? Cat got your tongue?” The man before you mocked and took a step towards you, getting slowly closer and closer to you.

As he slowly was getting closer, you weighed your options. Trying to run seemed like the best option and yet with the three other men surrounding you, it didn’t seem possible. Fighting could be another option but it seemed like the worst one – you would not come out unhurt.

‘Fuck it.’ You told yourself, fist curled, you were ready to punch the guy and then run for your life.

None of it happened. Before the man could even think about reaching you, a dark silhouette appeared right in front of you, lifting the man from the ground by his neck. A little yelp of surprise escaped your lips. You knew the person before you. A little too well. Wooyoung had found you and he was not amused. You couldn’t see his face but you could tell he was pissed; his body tensed, the aura surrounding him was pure rage.

To your utter surprise, the three other men didn’t try to help his friend – feet rooted to the ground, they were both taken aback and terrified with how easily Wooyoung lifted their friend.

“Give me one reason. One good reason not to kill you.” Wooyoung growled

Oh yes, he was furious. His voice was darker than ever and even if his fury wasn’t directed at you, you couldn’t help but shiver and cower behind him. Those guys just didn’t know with who they messed.

You bit on your lips, torn between the wish to see how far he was ready to go for you (you had little trouble to imagine him killing for you) and to save those men from a fate probably worse than death.

“Wooyoung.” You called for him. No success. He didn’t even flinch at your voice, too lost in his own feelings. You got closer to him and put your shaky hand on his arm. “Wooyoung.”

He grunted but complied. He looked at you, eyes red and glowing, filled with anger and hatred, but at the sight of you, for a brief moment his eyes softened.

Honestly, there was definitely something wrong with you. Instead of cowering under his gaze, you found yourself getting hot. And apparently, Wooyoung felt the shift too. He inhaled sharply, scenting you.

“You’re terrible.” He whispered only for you, a smirk forming on his pretty face.

You chose to ignore the fact that he could read you so easily or the fact that he could sense your arousal. “Let them go. They’re not worth your time.”

If Wooyoung had to listen to his demon’s urges, those men would be dead, souls sent straight to hell – he loved the idea of making them suffer for eternity. But you, you made everything harder. He couldn’t resist those pretty eyes, looking hopefully at him, smelling so good.

“As you wish.” He threw the man on the ground few meters from you. With a blink of an eye, he had his arms wrapped tightly around you and the next moment you found yourself in the safety of your house, pressed against a wall.

“How long are you planning to drive me crazy, doll?” He pressed his head in the crook of your neck, inhaling your sweet scent. No matter how much he tried to resist the urge to take you, he found it harder with every passing day.

You ran your fingers through his hair, enjoying his proximity and his breath on your skin. “Excuse me, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m the one suffering. Not you.” With that, you tug at his locks – Wooyoung bit on your neck without hesitation in response, leaving a bright red mark.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Then, shut up and take me?”

❀

So maybe after the incident with the bunch of idiots in the street, Wooyoung started acting more protective. And maybe you found it both endearing and annoying. You would roll your eyes at him every time he would show up at the step of your workplace; of course, he knew every time when you would be finished with your day as if he felt it. But could you blame him? Definitely not. He would smile sheepishly at you, looking so damn adorable – you melted every single time.

Maybe, after giving in your desire, you finally came to terms that you weren’t simply attracted to this demon. There was something more, something deeper and it scared you. What if you gave him all of you and he would use it against you one day? What if, despite all his human trait, it was a charade? What if you were wrong?

‘Oh well.’ You told yourself with a long and tired sigh.

It was finally Friday night and after a two hours long trip to the countryside you had finally reached your parents’ place. It was isolated, a small village surrounded by a huge, dark forest. It was a nice play to visit when you wanted to escape the noisy town and when you needed to reconnect with the nature and yourself. Better yet, you could come and spend some quality time with your family.

You looked for a moment at your old house. So many generations had lived in this house, in fact, your parents still lived with your grandmother. They could have left, they tried even, but the peace and calmness of this place brought them back. You couldn’t blame them. Now that you were back, you felt all your exhaustion leave your body. This place was magical.

A fond smile grew on your face and you hurried to the door.

“I’m home!” You shouted, excited.

Your mother was the first to join, her pink apron on her; the moment she saw you, she couldn’t hold back. She screamed your name, excited and jumped at you for a bear like hug. Yeah, you were home.

❀

It was a well-known fact in your village that your grandmother was an old witch. A real witch who casted spells, who could see things that others couldn’t. Of course, your parents always told you that it was just a silly rumor that some ladies created because your grandmother could act odd from time to time. As a good daughter, you believed them and never questioned it. You witnessed some of those odd incidents that happened with her but you brushed it off. Now, however, it made you pause. What if it was true?

While talking to your parents, you noticed how your grandmother would stare at you and shake her head in disapproval. You frowned, wondering what about your life could possibly make her frown in disapproval. But maybe you already knew the answer.

“We missed you! When was the last time you came back? It feels like eternity!” Your mom complained, wiping a fake tear. Such a drama queen (but so were you).

“I think we haven’t seen her since Christmas.” Your dad added but with a gentle smile. He missed you, of course, but he understood why you didn’t come back.

“I know, I’m sorry.” You winced, feeling bad. You wanted to come back earlier but somehow, every time you thought about coming back, you would get simply busy, whether it was with work or your personal life. “I’ve been busy.”

“Busy with her boyfriend, yeah.” Your grandmother snorted and grabbed her glass.

You chocked, taken aback at her statement. There was no way it was just a remark, just a guess. Your eyes widened in shock; your eyes locked and a knowing smile grew on her face. Oh yeah. She knew.

“Oh come on, mom! Y/N would have told us if she got herself a boyfriend!” Your mom came to your defense.

If only she knew.

“I wouldn’t bet on that.”

Your mom’s eyes darted back and forth between you and your grandmother. Without the two of you talking, she understood what was going on and she didn’t like that. “You’re seeing a man?!”

Oh boy. You were in trouble.

❀

“Y/N, dear?” Your grandmother called for you. “Come here, I have something for you.”

Your grandmother sat by the fireplace with a little box resting in her hands. She looked at you more gently now which eased your mind. Maybe you were finally imagining things. Maybe you were simply too tired with the week and the trip.

You sat on the carpet, inhaling deeply. The warmth coming from the fire and the smell of wood brought back memories of your childhood and so many good times. It reminded you of nights of you sitting by the fire, resting your head on your grandmother’s knees while she would tell you stories.

“It feels really great being home.” You admitted with a fond smile on your face. “I should have come back earlier.”

Your grandmother hummed in approval. “You should.” She paused to have a good look at you. “But I understand. You’re different from us in so many ways.” She outstretched her hand and gently patted your head. “Look at you. Such a lovely woman. But you’re attracted to dangerous men.”

“He’s not that dangerous.” You whispered your lie. You knew better than to qualify Wooyoung as ‘not dangerous’ because he definitely was. But was he really a danger to you? You weren’t that sure.

Your grandmother sighed in defeat. “It runs in the family.”

“What?”

“It’s a long story. For another time.” She averted her eyes to the box in her hand. “I have a gift for you. Here.”

In the wooden box, you found a pretty, vintage necklace. You had seen it before, a very long time ago – your grandmother used to wear it.

“Consider it as a lucky charm. It had protected me for a long time.”

❀

In all honesty you hated how your brain worked. Despite your exhaustion, sleep wouldn’t come. You laid in your bed with your eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, in the darkness of your room, playing with the necklace your grandmother gifted you. You tried everything to fall asleep; you tried to empty your mind, to count, but nothing worked.

In the darkness of your room, you thought about your grandmother and how you started to believe that the rumors about her weren’t just rumors. You thought about how much you missed Wooyoung and wondered how come he still didn’t show up. Of course, you had no way of warning him that you wouldn’t be at your place this weekend, but he always knew where to find you. So what was different this time?

With a sigh, you threw your blanket off you. There was no way you would find any sleep soon, instead, you grabbed a black hoodie and put it on. If lying in bed, did you no good, then maybe walking would help. You used to do it back when you were still living with your parents. In fact, you spent many nights walking through the forest, resting by the lake.

The night was lovely with a cool breeze caressing your face. You hummed in contentment, enjoying the moment fully as you walked through the small path leading to the lake. You didn’t need to check your surroundings; your feet remembered the way.

The moment you stepped into the clearing your smile widened at the sight of the lake. The sight of the lake brought back so many memories, you felt in peace and so light.

“I’m home.” You whispered happily

Your peace was however quickly interrupted by a very loud and angry “Where the hell have you been?!”

Startled, your heart missed a beat. Wooyoung appeared right before you, looking incredibly pissed, his eyes glowing red and you swore he growled at you. That was definitely not how you imagined meeting him. Without answering, you simply stared at him, confused with his reaction.

Wooyoung took a step towards you, fuming with rage, he tried to control himself. He didn’t want to scare you with his attitude (not that he really believed he could scare you), but his own fears got the best of him. “I’ve looked for you everywhere but no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t find you. I couldn’t feel you. It freaked me out.”

“What?” You blinked confused. “It doesn’t make sense. You-“

He interrupted you by wrapping his arms around you, crashing your body against his.

“I was scared something had happened to you and I had no idea where to look for you.” By the end of his ranting, he was shaking. You felt bad for worrying him this way, even if you didn’t understand half of what he explained.

You pushed him gently off you, only to cup his face and smile softly at him. “I’m fine, you’re fine.”

He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, leaning further into your touch, letting you calm his nerves.

To say that you didn’t melt at his reaction would be a big fat lie. Your heart fluttered; he was too adorable for his own good and he didn’t even know that. You pecked his lips, once, twice until you saw a pout form on his face – he wanted more than a peck.

“Y/N,” he pleaded and who were you tell him no? Without hesitation you captured his lips. It wasn’t that long since your last kiss, but the moment your lips connected you sighed in delight, your body melting against his. There was no denying that you were addicted to him.

One arm wrapped tightly around you, Wooyoung lifted you from the ground bringing you as close as he could. The moment of bliss didn’t last. The moment your body collided, he hissed in both surprise and pain.

“What-“ You looked at him, taken aback. “What’s wrong?”

Wooyoung frowned, confused. He glanced at his chest; the burning sensation lingered even with you two being apart. “The hell.” But despite the shock that came with the burn, Wooyoung recognized this sensation, from a very long time ago. He looked at you, observing you, trying to find what was different with you. It didn’t take him long to figure it out. His eyes locked on your necklace; his frown only deepened.

“Where did you get that?” He pointed at your neck

“That?” Your fingers wrapped around the pendant. “It’s a gift from my grandmother.” You couldn’t help but smile but then you remembered his reaction. “What’s wrong with it?”

Wooyoung bit the inside of his cheek, pondering whether he should tell you what this pendant represented or if he should just shrug it off.

“Don’t.” You warned him, seeing the struggle in his eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“You’re getting too good at reading me.” Wooyoung sighed and shook his head. “I know this necklace; I’ve seen it before.” He outstretched his hand, fingers brushing your neck gently but halted. “There’s a spell on it preventing demons from getting too close to you.”

You should have been shocked by his statement but you weren’t. The whole evening you had been wondering whether your grandmother was a witch or not – his words only confirmed your doubts.

“Should I take it off?”

“Your sweater? Yes, please.”

You slapped his arm playfully in reply which made me chuckle. “No, keep it.”

“But it hurt you.”

“Only because I got too close to it. I’ll just avoid touching your neck.”

“No!” You complained. As if you would let him do that. You liked him touching your neck whether it was just to rub or plant kisses or choke you.

He laughed at your pained expression and wrap and arm around your shoulders. “Don’t pout like that. It gives me ideas.”

“What kind of ideas?”

“A kind that would make you blush, doll.”

Bloody demon. But you adored him.

“Walk me home?”

❀

When you suggested for Wooyoung to walk you home, you had on mind that you could slip him inside the house, unnoticed and maybe spend the night together. Your plan, however, went to hell the moment you got closer to the house. Your grandmother was, to your utter despair, perfectly awake, sitting in her favorite rocking chair on the patio, smoking a pipe. She watched the two of you getting closer, unfazed with Wooyoung’s presence.

Wooyoung let go of your hand. He put his hands in his pockets and tried to look as nonchalant as he could, but as you observed him from the side, you saw how tensed he actually was.

“So you’re the demon.” Your grandmother said. She stood up, stretching her limbs, she winced at the pain in her back.

Your grandmother, at least in your memories, was sweet and always looked gentle. Now? She looked intimidating. It was a wonder Wooyoung didn’t try to run away because you would in his shoes.

“And you’re the witch.”

She smiled, pleased with being called a witch. “What’s left of it, yes.”

Your eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, your thoughts running wild. “Hold on. Does it mean I’m a witch too?”

“You could be, if you wanted.” Your grandmother nodded which made Wooyoung winced. “Don’t make that face, demon. We’re not all bad.”

“Excuse me if I’m having a hard time believing this.” But as Wooyoung observed your grandmother, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of knowing her. He let his power wander around the place, trying to reach for her magic, only to be meet with a wall.

“Bloody witches.” Wooyoung cursed under his breath.

“I have a question.” You interrupted their little silent exchange. “My necklace? Earlier-“ you glanced at Wooyoung, trying to find the right words without getting embarrassed, “It hurt him.”

Your grandmother hummed in understanding. She was young once so she could only imagine how it happened. She winked at you (did you blush? Absolutely).

“Because this necklace is supposed to protect you from demons. Especially those trying to get too close to you.”

“But-“

“I felt him on you. His scent is all over you. I figured you’d need some protection. This necklace won’t save you if things get out of hand, but it can help.” Your grandmother explained.

Wooyoung who stayed oddly silent for the past few minutes, finally remembered where he had since this necklace before. “I’ve met you before, haven’t I?”

Now that was unexpected.

Your grandmother smiled. “Took you long to figure out.”

“You’re old.”

“And you’re still as rude as ever.”

“Do I want to know?” You asked, confused at their interaction. It got you curious, obviously. Especially because your grandmother looked delighted with how uneasy Wooyoung looked. “Wooyoung?”

He raised his arms in defeat, cursing. “Your grandmother was a very curious little witch. She summoned me when she was twelve.”

“Twelve?” You glanced at her, amazed. No wonder there were rumors about her.

“Yeah. She was curious and annoyed me to no end.” Wooyoung explained, face pained at the memory.

Your grandmother scoffed. “You were just impatient.”

“Was I? She pestered me with questions and I snapped. I tried to attack her but she wore this damn necklace.”

She nodded at the memory. “Demons are impatient and dangerous creature. And no matter how cute the two of you look together, I don’t think this relationship is a good idea.”

Angry, Wooyoung took a step forward and you had to grab his arm to stop him from getting closer to your grandmother. You didn’t trust him when it came to you and your relationship.

Your grandmother, brave woman that she was, didn’t even flinch at his display of anger. “You know I’m right. You put her in danger.”

“I can protect her!”

“I don’t doubt that but you won’t be always by her side. Moreover, you seem to forget that you’re immortal. She’s not.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll find her again.”

Fuck. You were falling in love.

❀

Ever since you got home from your parents’ place, Wooyoung had been showering you with so much love it was almost disgusting (according to Soojin anyway). But sweet. You bet if it came from someone else you would have hated all this attention but with Wooyoung it only made you feel loved. A kind of love that you had never experienced before. It was intense and heart melting.

When you thought he couldn’t surprise you any more, he would pop at your work place with a cup of coffee and would steal a kiss when nobody was looking before disappearing with a wink. It startled you every single time but would leave you with a big smile on your face. He certainly knew how to brighten your day.

Wooyoung surprised you even more by bringing you what looked like homemade meals almost every day. For a while, you actually refused to believe that he was the one doing the cooking, it just didn’t make sense for a demon. He, of course, proved you wrong one night. You came home late, your place smelling absolutely delicious, making you drool on the spot; only to find Wooyoung in your kitchen, cooking. He should have looked so out of place – he didn’t. Let’s say it added to the list of things you loved about him.

Tonight, however, you enjoyed the peace that came with the night. Wooyoung was sleeping beside you, for once he didn’t leave, he didn’t have any demon-business waiting for him and you enjoyed every second of it. You watched him sleeping, admiring how beautiful he looked even in his sleep.

Smiling fondly at him, you moved a little closer to him, letting your fingertips trail over his chest, drawing invisible circles. You couldn’t stop yourself from gently touching him, you were just so drawn to him. Your hand moved to his jaw, tracing its shape before moving to his lips – lips that you wanted to kiss so badly. Wooyoung grabbed your hand and opened his eyes, staring right at you.

“You can’t get enough of me.” He wiggled his brows playfully at you which made you realize that he had been awake for a while now and was simply waiting for your move.

The little shit.

“Nope.” You didn’t even try to deny. You threw one leg over his and straddle his thighs. “I might be a little addicted.”

Wooyoung kissed your fingers in response. A slow and gentle press of his lips against your fingers and it was enough to fill you with both love and lust.

“I love you.”

❀

“So you’re the reason he’s been so distracted.”

Finding a man, sitting on your coach like he owned the place should have made a strong effect on you. A logical reaction would have been to panic, to scream even and ask who the hell he was. You? You simply halted mid-way; your jacket half removed as you stared at the man.

One look at him was enough to tell you who he was. Well maybe not who but definitely what. There was this aura around him, dark and ominous, just like Wooyoung’s. Without a doubt you were facing another demon and from the frown on his face he wasn’t a friendly one.

A normal reaction, after realizing that a dangerous demon was at your place, would have been to pray for Wooyoung to show up and save your butt.

“Do I want to know why a demon is in my living room?” You finally asked and dropped your jacket on a chair, along with your bag. To say that your heart didn’t skip a beat at the sight of red eyes, would be a lie. Maybe spending time with Wooyoung made you a little fearless, but it didn’t mean you couldn’t recognize danger when faced with.

You were playing with fire but apparently your little antics amused the demon – he smirked. “I see the appeal.”

“What do you want?”

“I wanted to see where Wooyoung was spending his time instead of doing his job. Can’t believe he got himself involved with a human.”  He eyed you from head to toe, face filled with disgust. Clearly, someone wasn’t very fond of humans.

“Then, now that you’ve met me, can you leave?” You tried to sound as nice as possible just to avoid offending him even further with your ‘humanity’.

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

One moment he was on the couch, the next he had you pinned against the wall, his fingers wrapped tightly around your throat. “You, humans, are so fragile.” He watched you, your every shiver, every breath, like a hawk. It amused him to see you not being so smug anymore, not being so courageous. He could feel your heart beating crazily; you were terrified of what he could do to you. After all, it would take him little to not effort to snap your neck.

“Do you think he would morn you?”

His hold on your neck tightened a little more, bringing tears to your eyes. You were going to die, there was no way you could escape him, not even if you tried. You whimpered at the pain as breathing was getting almost impossible. A little voice inside your head asked you to beg him to stop but you wouldn’t. It wouldn’t do you any good.

But just when you thought you were done for, a miracle happened: your necklace started shining brightly. The demon’s attention suddenly was not on you but on the necklace, eyes widening in shock. Just like Wooyoung’s before, he seemed to be familiar with it; he quickly let go of you and took few steps back, his eyes darting back and forth between his wounded hand and you.

“The fuck.” He growled, outraged that what seemed to be an easy target, wasn’t that easy to kill in the end. “Why do you have this?”

Too stunned to speak, you simply stared at his hand and pressed yourself a little harder against the wall in hope it would swallow you whole. You needed to get the hell out of here. You silently thanked your grandmother for the gift, if it wasn’t for her, you realized, you would be dead.

“Answer me!” He ordered, impatient, his rage growing stronger with every passing seconds.

Despite your state, despite the fear slowly eating you alive, you forced your body to move, to try to get away from him – you pushed yourself from the wall and run without looking back. Fortunately for you, your prayers had been answered: Wooyoung appeared in the middle of the room, a deep frown on his face. He opened his arms widely and caught you. The moment his familiar and comforting scent hit your nose, you felt your body giving up, falling in his arms, shaking.

“Y/N.” He whispered and tightened his hold around you. He didn’t need to observe you to know you were terrified and a quick glance at the other demon in the room made it all clear as to why. “The fuck you’re doing here, Hongjoong?”

Hongjoong scrunched his nose in disgust at the sight. No matter how close he was to Wooyoung, he couldn’t understand his obsession with you. “You finally show yourself.”

“I’m not going to repeat myself. What are you doing here?”

If Hongjoong was annoyed with Wooyoung he didn’t show it (which did impress you). Instead, he put his hands in his pockets and relaxed, completely unbothered with his friend’s anger. “Making acquaintance with your new pet.” His eyes locked with yours for a moment before looking back at Wooyoung. “You can’t be serious about her.”

For a second you thought Wooyoung would simply pounce on Hongjoong. You could feel his rage just by staying in his arms. Oddly enough, he controlled himself; Wooyoung took a deep breath, releasing a little his hold on you before looking back at the demon. Your eyes darted back and forth between them, realizing a little too late that maybe the reason Wooyoung managed to control himself was because this demon was actually a friend of his and he didn’t want to fight him.

“My intentions are none of your business, Hongjoong.” Wooyoung finally answered, calmer than expected. He looked down at you and smiled gently at you, reassuring you in a way.

Hongjoong, instead of making another snarky remark to push Wooyoung to his limits, only sighed in defeat. He ruffled his hair in frustration and groaned. “Why do you need to always make things so hard?”

Wooyoung actually chuckled at his remark. “You’d be bored.”

Yeah, you had no more doubts: they were friends.

More confident (mainly because you realized your life was no longer threatened), you pushed yourself out of Wooyoung’s arms and faced the other demon. Instead of looking at you with the disgust he showed you previously, Hongjoong smiled, a bitter one, but it was better than nothing.

“You better look after her. If I found out about her, it means others will too eventually. You know she’ll be in danger when the moment comes.” Hongjoong said before vanishing.

❀

You woke up that morning with a sick feeling in the stomach – something was wrong. You sat in your bed, rubbing your eyes to fully wake up. The moment your eyes landed on the empty side of the bed; the bad feeling only grew stronger. Wooyoung was nowhere to be seen which wasn’t that unusual and shouldn’t worry you that much but it did. Maybe it felt wrong because of the whole incident with Hongjoong and his last remark before leaving. You couldn’t help but remember your own grandmother’s words, they were so damn similar, warning Wooyoung about the danger of being together.

“No.” You told yourself, scolding the little voice in your head that was messing with you, making you anxious without good reason.

You knew from the beginning that being with Wooyoung would be challenging but you could overcome the issues, you were a strong and stubborn woman – you were ready to fight for him. And you could only hope that he was ready to fight for you too.

Hopeful, you left your bed to check the others rooms – still no sight of him.

“Wooyoung?” You called for him, knowing all too well that he wouldn’t answer you.

Despite all your talk about overcoming all obstacles, your heart clenched painfully inside your chest. Feeling dizzy, you put a hand on the wall to steady yourself. He wouldn’t leave without a word, would he?

❀

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and still no sign of the demon that had shamelessly stolen your heart. You would be lying if you said his absence didn’t affect you as much as it used to, you would be lying if you said it didn’t hurt thinking about him. Because it did. Every time you found yourself alone, you thought about him, about your time together. You thought about his silly jokes, about the late-night talks, about the safety of his arms. You missed it.

But if there was one thing you were certain in life, it was that time could heal everything. You strongly believed in that. So when Wooyoung disappeared without a word, despite all your attempt at summoning him, you believed that you would get over it. Eventually.

For a while, you allowed yourself to be sad, to cry, to despair but then, enough was enough. You refused to turn into one of those people who because of their pain would become just a shadow of themselves. There wasn’t much you could do, except resume your normal life where you had left it. You worked just as hard and started spending again more times with your friends, going out and distracting yourself until the pain became more bearable. Until your thoughts weren’t plagued by him all the time.

When the time of your holidays came, instead of planning a special trip, an escape to another part of the world, you chose to come back to the only place in the world where you felt safe and at peace: your childhood’s house. Your parents were of course delighted at the idea of having you back for longer than two days. They didn’t ask about your ‘boyfriend’, they figured it wasn’t the right timing to introduce him to them. But your grandmother, it was a whole different story. The moment she saw you, you and your fake pretty, happy smile, she smelled the lie. Fortunately for you, she made no comment.

❀

The night was still young and fresh, but you couldn’t dream about anything better. You sat in your grandmother rock chair on the patio, admiring the dark sky filled with thousands of stars. A warm plaid wrapped around your body, a hot cup of chamomile in your hand – a perfect set.

Coming to this place was probably your best decision.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Your grandmother stood by the door; she too had a plaid around her shoulders.

You glanced at her, smiling. With just one look, you knew why she was outside. In fact, it surprised you that she lasted so long without cornering you. “Just relaxing. I feel at peace here.”

Your grandmother hummed in understanding. “And not in town?”

“It’s,” you paused, thinking about the right word. You loved your life in town. You loved the hectic, noisy life but ever since Wooyoung had left without a word, you found yourself wishing for calm and to have time to reconnect with yourself. “Different and not what I need right now.”

Your grandmother joined you by sitting on the wooden bench beside the chair. For a moment, she didn’t talk; maybe because she wanted you to talk freely, maybe she was weighting her next words. She observed you for a while. Despite how badly you tried to conceal your real feelings, she knew exactly what was going on in your pretty head and she understood.

“He left, didn’t he?” She finally said

You knew it was coming, but her question (that sounded more like a statement) still stung. When you turned to look at her, you half expected to see the ‘I told you so’ look, instead, she reached for your shoulder and gently patted.

No matter how much work you had done on your feelings, the simple pat on the shoulder (and maybe because it came from your grandmother) was enough to bring tears to your eyes. You blinked furiously, trying to stop yourself from breaking down before her but it was no use.

“Come here.” She gently grabbed your hand and pulled you towards her. She wrapped her frail arms around you, gently rocking you, letting you cry in her arms.

Head pressed against her chest, you felt like a child. You felt loved and safe.

“You’ll be fine.” She whispered and planted a soft kiss on top of your head.

❀

Whoever said that demons couldn’t love, clearly knew nothing about them. Of course, it was rare. Heck, Wooyoung wasn’t sure if he had ever witnessed it in his extremely long life, but he knew it could happen, just like he knew that usually nothing good would come out of those relationship. It was always the same story: they met, fell in love, went against the world, only for one, if not two, to die.

But despite knowing it, he convinced himself he could be the exception.

He knew that his feelings for you weren’t just an illusion. Some would say he was simply infatuated with you but it wouldn’t be right. If it was just an obsession, he wouldn’t feel the urge to be by your side every moment of your life. He wouldn’t feel the need to protect you from the world. But reality was, he couldn’t protect you. Hongjoong proved it to him with just one little, innocent visit. Hongjoong showed him he was still young (at least for a demon) and naïve.

That night, he watched you fall asleep in his arms, safe, protected, loved and he knew right then that your grandmother was right, that Hongjoong was also right: he couldn’t stay in your life and except you to survive. No matter how much it pained him to admit, he couldn’t always be by your side. All it would take for him was to arrive seconds too late and you would be gone forever. Wooyoung couldn’t take the risks.

So he left.

Wooyoung knew he was being a coward by purely ignoring you. He heard all of your calls. Worse, he saw how his absence affected you, how slowly your resolution crumbled. He heard your many cries, your begging – it almost broke him in return.  All he had to do was make his presence known and he would have you back in his arms – but he couldn’t. With all his might, he fought himself and resisted the urge.

But did it make him stop watching over you? No. Call him a masochist but he couldn’t stop. Just like tonight. After months of suffering, you finally chose to go out with your friends and have some fun. Of course, he followed you from afar, watching over you. While you were having a drink, laughing at your friends’ jokes, he stood outside, under the rain.

“You can’t stop yourself, huh.” Hongjoong’s voice echoed from behind him. There was no judgment in his voice but he could definitely hear some pity.

Wooyoung kept his mouth shut in fear of starting pouring his heart and reveal how he really felt about the whole situation. He glanced shortly at his friend before turning back his attention on you.

“She looks happy.” Hongjoong commented.

You did.

❀

Wooyoung thought he had finally lost his mind. Instead of watching you from afar as he had done for the past few months, he found himself at your parents’ place, lurking in the darkness of the forest, watching. Your sweet scent still lingered in the air, it was faint but he still could catch it. You were no longer at their place but he had missed you only by days.

Your grandmother however was still there and just like when they first met, she was in her rock chair, humming softly.

Despite Wooyoung’s attempt at concealing his presence, she knew exactly where he was. She pointed a finger in his direction and smiled.

“I was waiting for you.”

Now, that took him off guard.

“Took you long enough.”

Wooyoung hesitated, only for a second. He wasn’t fond of witches – they were malicious and unpredictable. On the other hand, your grandmother had proved to be a very different kind of witch.

“You knew I would come?” He got out of his hideout and walked towards her.

“Just a hunch.”

Being a strong demon meant that there were very few things in this world that could terrify him, but Wooyoung had to admit that being observed so intensely by this old woman did spook him.

“You were right.” It bruised his ego to admit it but he felt the need to say it.

He didn’t think she could surprise him anymore, but she did.

“I wish I wasn’t.”

Her words, no matter how nice they were, hurt more than he wished to admit.

Wooyoung sighed, feeling exhausted and defeated. He plopped on a step and rested his head in between his hands. With closed eyes, and against better judgment, he inhaled sharply, concentrating on the traces of your scent. Hell, he missed you.

“What are you going to do?” The old woman asked, voice filled with sympathy.

Wooyoung turned his face to look at her, pained. “Honestly? I don’t know.” If he was being rational, he knew he had to stop looking for you, looking after you, it did him no good and it definitely did no good to you. Even if you couldn’t feel his presence, he was holding you back. “I know I should stop and let her go. But damn, it’s hard.”

Just like she did with you only few days ago, your grandmother reached for him and patted his head.

“For her sake and for yours, you need to let go.”

❀

Slowly but surely, Wooyoung managed to let go of his bad habit. But not completely. At first, he kept visiting you, watching over you and making sure you were safe, with no other demon around you. Making sure that you were happy. But then, he managed to give you some space. His visits became less frequent, months, years.

He watched you succeed in your career; not like he doubted you. He watched you getting stronger and opening up to new people. He watched you falling in love once more, getting married, have a child. He wouldn’t deny that he wished he was the man standing by your side, sharing all those moments with you, but he knew there was much he couldn’t give you.

Hongjoong appeared by his side, wearing a worried look on his face which was unusual coming from him – that made Wooyougn pause. “What is it?”

“You should see her.”

“Why?” It had been ten years since the last time he had paid you a visit. Time was a strange thing. For humans, it meant death was getting closer. For him? It meant nothing. When he had last saw you, he came to realize how fragile you got, how your end was nearing. It tore his heart. He could deal with a life where you weren’t his, but dealing with a life without you was so much worse.

“Because it’s time.” Hongjoong hesitated for a moment. “I think you should say goodbye. And I think she will appreciate that too.”

❀

Wooyoung thought that leaving was the most painful thing he had ever done. Wrong. To see you so frail, so fragile was much worse.

As he came to the hospital, he spotted your legacy; children, grandchildren, all preparing themselves for what was inevitable. But could we ever get ready for death? Demons, yes, humans not so much.

“Hi, doll.” Wooyoung whispered to your sleeping figure. He outstretched his hand, wanting nothing more than touch your face, to feel your warmth once more but halted. You were so close, yet so far. “I know, I have no right to say it now but hell, I missed you. So much.”

“I’m sorry for leaving you. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, but know that I’m sorry.” Wooyoung had never cried in his life, not even when it broke his heart leaving you, but now that he was finally confessing, letting everything out, tears were slowly gathering in the corner of his eyes. “I watched over you for a while – I just couldn’t let go. But when I saw you rebuilding your life, I knew I had to let go, to give you the space you needed to completely forget about me.”

“As if I could ever forget about you, asshole.” You muttered as you slowly opened your eyes and looked at him.

Startled, Wooyoung almost jumped from the bed and ran for his life. Ironic, considering he used to be the one scaring you.

Even in your state, you managed a chuckle. “Did I scare the mighty demon?”

“Nope.” Wooyoung cleared his throat. “Ok, maybe a little.”

“What took you so long?” You complained, “Do you know how hard I’ve been trying to hold back? I expected to see you sooner – especially since I saw Hongjoong.”

“You saw Hongjoong?”

“He thought he was being discrete or maybe he thought I was too old to notice, to remember.”

Wooyoung snickered at that and took note to remind Hongjoong to never underestimate a human. Even an old lady as yourself.

“Hey, Wooyoung. Do me a favor? Next time we meet, and I know we’ll meet again. Don’t be a coward and stay with me hm?”

Those words were all he needed to let his tears fall free. He took your hand and brought it to his lips, kissing your knuckles one last time.

“I promise.”

The Cat and The Fox II - PSH & JWY - TCTF SERIES

(Pictures aren't mine, credits for the rightful owners)

Pairing: hybridcat!seonghwa x reader x hybridfox!wooyoung (non-romantic)

Genre: fluff, angst

Warnings/tags: mentions of blood and injuries: implied abuse and trauma; hybrid au; hybrid series

WC: 2,9 K

N/A: This took me way too much time to finish, I'm so sorry! There'll be a part 3 of this sooner than later, I promise 💕 As always my requests are open!

The Cat and The Fox I

The Cat and The Fox III

Ateez Masterlist

The fox looked... pissed off at me, like I was at fault for his injuries somehow.

The fox looked … pissed off at me, like I was at fault for his injuries somehow.

And that would be expected if he was still bleeding and hungry like three hours ago, but he wasn’t. He was curled in that same box drenched in dried blood, because he refused to get out of it after we came inside, eating a fruit salad I made for him 15 minutes ago.

Somehow, he stayed calm while the cat was near him, without attacking or hissing at each other once, while I had scratches on my arms, because I tried to take him to a specialized vet. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. They seemed perfectly fine in each other presence.

How did he even get hurt in the first place if it wasn’t the cat?

But the important part is, he wasn’t making a huge mess like the first time, actually he barely moved.

He was in the corner of the living room, staring at me now and then, while chewing another piece of apple. I tried not the obvious as I glanced at him, while the cat was walking to my side on the couch.

The TV was loud, but I barely focused on it until I felt two paws kneading on my left thigh. The cat meowed once when I looked at him.

“What?”, I asked.

The feeling of being ridiculous for talking to him like he would answer was yet to disappear.

He meowed once more, looking at my bandaged left arm. Then, he jumped on my lap, and laid his head down on my stomach. My heart could barely take in the scene in front of my eyes. His paws kept kneading me, while caressing my arm with his fluffy head and tail.

“It’s okay, kitty”, I said as I petted his head.

Just as soon as I touched his fur, I heard a hiss coming from the corner.

“Aren’t you a good one? So cute”, I said, still looking at the cat while petting his head.

The hissing sound didn’t stop, but I kept ignoring it.

Was that fox really protective of the cat? Or he was still hurting?

To test the theory, I stopped petting the cat, yet the hissing didn’t stop, and I heard a soft meow of protest, so I got back to the job.

They had to be from the same home still, but maybe the pain it was too much

That thought made me curl in the couch. I wish I could help more, but he clearly didn’t like my presence even if I could, and there’s nothing I could do about it, at least not this late. I still didn’t know how he got such a deep cut, since my initial theory was wrong, and the chances of knowing are none, but I hope their owners get a grip, and start to take care of them better.

“I need a name for you… for both of you”, I murmured.

Suddenly the hissing stopped, and I heard little muffed taps on the floor coming from the corner. My hands left the soft fur of the cat’s head, and he wasn’t happy at all, but I wasn’t about to get any more scratches.

I saw the red fur of his ears picking out from the side of the couch, then one of his eyes, that bright yellow ones that for the first time didn’t look like they wanted to tear me apart, instead it as almost as if i-

The fox jumped at me.

I didn’t have time to close my eyes.

He stood on 4 paws by my side, bobbing his nose on the cat’s head while whining, and I couldn’t do anything besides watch the scene in front of my eyes. His fur touched my skin lightly, and I didn’t dare to move. Then, finally, the cat seemed to understand what the fox wanted, and gave space beside himself. The whining stopped and both of them laid on my lap, side by side, as calm as the night outside.

I didn’t dare to move, my heart was racing while I tried to process the bizarre scene in front of me, but the thing is, I couldn’t. What kind of animal behavior is that? For my own safety, I didn’t touch them, and tried my best to not move and bother them.

The living room was silent for some time, while I was lost in my own mind.

“Where did you come from?”, I asked after sometime, and both heads looked up to me.

I didn’t mean to ask it out loud, it wasn’t like I’d get an answer.

The cat decided to get up from my lap, and I thought he’d walk away. Instead, he sat on my lap while looking straight at me and raised his left paw up. I took it with my own left hand, a small smile in my face. He was too cute, weird as fuck, sure, but a cute cat.

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you I guess”, I said, moving my hand up and down in the air. “I wish you had your collar, then I’d know how to call you”.

He meowed, and I released his paw, but then he kept nuzzling my hand.

“You want this?”, I caressed his head and the purring started right away.

The fox did nothing but stare, which I took as a sign he wouldn’t attack me. His tail moved from left to right in a calm manner, and he seemed relaxed enough on my thigh. That was good, but his staring was unsettling to say the least. Was he staring so much at? The clothes I was wearing weren’t anything special, could foxes even see this amount of colors?

The fox stood up suddenly, eyes straight on me, and I waited for the worst, however he just raised his right paw up to me, and I took it with care, avoiding his sharp nails in the process. On his neck, there’s a clear sign of where the collar was, his fur was dirtier on a closer look, something I didn’t get to do until now.

“It’s nice to meet you too”.

He took his own paw from my hand, and he made a sound that I could only hope it was satisfaction. The fox bumped his head on the cats’ neck, which the latter didn’t seem to mind. It didn’t hold too much force, just enough to… get attention? The cat turned his head to the fox and there was silence, like they were communicating without me knowing.

I had the urge to look up to the TV, the show I was supposed to watch still there, but I lost enough that I ended up lost on the plot. Somehow, it didn’t feel right to just stare at them at the moment, so I focused on what was in front of me.

I felt the cat moving around my lap, and then another set of 4 paws.

They trust way too easy, but at least that was a good sign of the owner taking good care of them. But how the hell I’m supposed to find them?

“Kitty, you seem really smart”, I say as I looked down at them.

He purred while the fox whined and tapped my left tight, the one he was on top of.

“You also seem smart, foxy”, I tried to calm him down, and my hand almost reached for his fur, but I contained myself. “But you don’t have your collars, and your owner must be worried by now”.

The reaction they gave me wasn’t the one I expected. The word owner didn’t trigger purrs, heads looking around to find him or soft meows, no, it triggered shivers, distressed whines and bodies cowering in a small ball on top of my lap.

I petted them with both hands, while my heart broke at the sight.

Good care my ass, with this type of reaction because of a single word… what the fuck happened to them?

“Shhh, it’s okay, you both are safe, that person isn’t here”, I whispered as I petted them. “You can stay here, you don’t have to go back”, I said desperately as I tried to calm them down.

These clearly weren’t a normal cat and fox, that much was clear, but the moment they responded to me, a word came to mind. They had to be mixed with hybrid genes, that’s the only reason as why they’re so human-like in a sense.

They calmed down while I whispered reassurances as best as I could, because if it was up to me, they wouldn’t go back to an abusive home.

Both of them kept themselves in a little ball, as small as possible, but they were purring at least, and I took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry”, I whispered, because it felt too wrong to speak any louder in a situation like this.

They looked up at me when I said it, still froze in place it seemed, not a single sound out of their mouths, but theirs eyes were telling enough, so expressive that I couldn’t doubt they had hybrids genes.

“I’m sorry that someone was so awful to the point of you both being so terrified, I’ll find a better place for you”.

It was slow at first, but they moved from that position and laid on me, both heads hiding between my body and arms. Their ears hanging low on their heads, and tickling my skin. The softness was shocking still, it felt like a blanket even when they were supposed to be unkempt and dirty.

“Soo, I supposed you don’t want to take a bath, right?”, I said.

The reactions were immediate. The fox looked up, wide eyes, ears shot up on his head and body prepared to run as fast as he felt I’d make him do it, but the cat kept still, and nuzzled my arm even though his eyes were locked on me.

“It’s fine, I won’t make you”, I said as I smiled, and petted both of their heads.

It was bold of me, I could get scratched again by the fox, but he let me did it, so I took it as progress. They seemed wary still, more the fox than the cat to be honest, their personality was shinning through at that moment.

“It’s true, I won’t, I promise you that, but what about a towel? It must be uncomfortable being dirty, right?”

I looked from one to the other. The cat seemed fine, happy even, since he purred as an answer and raised one of his paws to my arm, it was a light and careful touch.

“Can I bring one for you?”, I asked in a soft tone of voice, and he nodded lightly. “Okay, so what about you, foxy?”

His yellowish eyes bored into mine and his body was stiff and wary on top of my thighs, yet he was still careful with his nails.

“You can do it on your own, I don't have to do it for you and I won't touch you at all, I said, and he nodded slowly.

“Okay, can you move, so I can get up?”

They did, both jumped back to the floor, and I took the opportunity to make an appropriate dinner for the three of us while they got themselves cleaned.

I knew the cat could clean himself without it, but I wasn’t sure about the fox, so I laid two towels on the floor for them and I went to the kitchen.

That was the first night. After the fifth night, the three of us developed a nice routine.

They knew they were safe and that I’d be back after work every evening. The second night was enough of whines and cries to know that they were… sensitive to sudden changes. There were food for them available when they wanted it on the little bowls I bought in the that first same night, I prepared all the meals in the mornings, and they could leave anytime if they wanted to, but I wasn’t sure if they ever did. The first time I came home after rescuing them, I was scared they had left for some an unknown reason. Sure, it was getting late, and the streets were unpredictable, who knows what could happen, but it was more than that. I had a soft spot for them already and if I keep up that pace, I’d be really hard to let them go someday.

“Kitty? Foxy?”

The lights of the living room were already on, but there wasn’t sign of them. I took off my coat and let my shoes by the entrance while I was scanning the room. Were they upstairs sleeping again? It was almost snack time. They came downstairs yesterday when I came home, it was the official snack time.

I decided to ignore the worst possible scenario and walked into the kitchen, then I took two bowls and opened the fridge. This amount of noise should’ve made them come downstairs already.

It’s fine, it’s ok, maybe they went out to play outside. It wasn’t fine. I let everything on the counter top and went upstairs.

“Kitty? Foxy?”

I really needed to give them better names than this, but it wasn’t the time to think about it now. They didn’t come to me, nor I heard any noise besides my own steps and nervous heart.

I went through my room, the bed was messy as they like to lay in it when I wasn’t home, that much was clear since day one. Then I went to the guest bedroom, but it was untouched. Maybe they locked themselves in the bathroom, but still nothing as I checked.

I didn’t like to where the possibilities were going, but there was still a chance of them playing outside, so I went to look around the house. There was still enough sunlight, but I didn’t get lucky until I heard a noise, a loud whining coming from the roof.

“Kitty? Foxy? Are you up there? Did you climb to the roof?”

Anyone looking out of their windows would think I went insane. Of course, they wouldn’t understand, no, not a normal cat and fox, but mine were far from it.

I was screaming in front of the house, trying to look up, but there wasn’t a sign of them, none that I could see from the ground. The only answer I got was another whining, and it sounded like foxy, that was enough for me to grab a staircase that I never even used before.

It was an old one for sure, it came with the house, and now I knew why, it was so fucking heavy to carry anywhere. There was the normal staircase, then you could slide two parts up and it’d get even taller. And that’s what I had to do, even though I didn’t trust the mechanism that hold it tight was working as good as it should.

But it was for foxy and kitty, they could’ve climbed there without knowing how to get down for hours, they must be hungry by now too, so I didn’t waste any more time.

As soon as I was on eye level with the roof, I froze in place.

Two men sat on my roof, side by side, curled around themselves to be seen as small as possible, not a single cloth protecting them for the cold and tails hugging each other's thighs.

“Ho-”

“Please, don’t make us leave”, one of them interrupted me.

The voice stunt me for a second. It was so deep, rough even and low, so low and that seemed like a crime because I could barely hear it above the soft wind.

“Don’t move, I’ll bring up towels and let’s get you both down, okay?”

There wasn’t an answer, but I didn’t wait for one. I felt my body out of my mind’s control, there weren’t thoughts running through my head as I ran to get towels for them, nor when they came down and sat on my couch.

Their heads were down, soft and fluffy ears flat against it. It hasn’t been more than two minutes since I found them, but they didn’t look up to me once.

“I’ll bring clothes for you both, one of you can go to the bathroom and the other to the guest room.”

I’ve seen their ears shot up and I couldn’t contain my smile. It was exactly like their animals' counterpart.

“I knew you were hybrids, I won’t make you guys leave, it doesn’t make a difference to me”

Finally, they looked up at me. Another déjà vu hit me hard, but this time it felt different. They were more vulnerable than ever, and it wasn’t because of the lack of clothing, no, I knew better than that. Their eyes told me what I needed to know once again.

“So, how can I call you? I knew I had to change kitty and foxy to your real names at some point”

They looked at each other, speechless, both sat still with hands gripping hard on the soft cloth.

“Right, the introductions can wait, I’ll bring clothes for you both. One can wait for me in the bathroom and the other in the guest room, if you prefer it.”

They nodded and got up.

It was intriguing how their body language was the exact same, too. If it wasn’t by the colors of their ears and tails, I could still say who was my kitty and who was my foxy.

Damn, I did actually call them mine, didn’t I?

@lightinyreads I'M SCREAMING RIGHT NOW AHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH DEAR! I'm so so happy to read this, you just made my whole week 💕❤️🥰

Now let me tell you, I'm finally getting my college break so part 3 is coming really soon anddd a lot more hybrid stories too, because I just love them and there's not enough of it on this app!

Again thank you so much for your sweet words and support, have a great day (week, month and year❤️)

The Cat and The Fox II

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Reblogs and comments are highly appreciated! Thank you for reading my work (^o^)

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(Pictures aren't mine, credits for the rightful owners)

Pairing: hybridcat!seonghwa x reader x hybridfox!wooyoung (non-romantic)

Genre: fluff, angst

Warnings/tags: mentions of blood and injuries: implied abuse and trauma; hybrid au; hybrid series

WC: 2,9 K

N/A: This took me way too much time to finish, I'm so sorry! There'll be a part 3 of this sooner than later, I promise 💕 As always my requests are open!

The Cat and The Fox I

Ateez Masterlist

The fox looked... pissed off at me, like I was at fault for his injuries somehow.

The fox looked … pissed off at me, like I was at fault for his injuries somehow.

And that would be expected if he was still bleeding and hungry like three hours ago, but he wasn’t. He was curled in that same box drenched in dried blood, because he refused to get out of it after we came inside, eating a fruit salad I made for him 15 minutes ago.

Somehow, he stayed calm while the cat was near him, without attacking or hissing at each other once, while I had scratches on my arms, because I tried to take him to a specialized vet. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. They seemed perfectly fine in each other presence.

How did he even get hurt in the first place if it wasn’t the cat?

But the important part is, he wasn’t making a huge mess like the first time, actually he barely moved.

He was in the corner of the living room, staring at me now and then, while chewing another piece of apple. I tried not the obvious as I glanced at him, while the cat was walking to my side on the couch.

The TV was loud, but I barely focused on it until I felt two paws kneading on my left thigh. The cat meowed once when I looked at him.

“What?”, I asked.

The feeling of being ridiculous for talking to him like he would answer was yet to disappear.

He meowed once more, looking at my bandaged left arm. Then, he jumped on my lap, and laid his head down on my stomach. My heart could barely take in the scene in front of my eyes. His paws kept kneading me, while caressing my arm with his fluffy head and tail.

“It’s okay, kitty”, I said as I petted his head.

Just as soon as I touched his fur, I heard a hiss coming from the corner.

“Aren’t you a good one? So cute”, I said, still looking at the cat while petting his head.

The hissing sound didn’t stop, but I kept ignoring it.

Was that fox really protective of the cat? Or he was still hurting?

To test the theory, I stopped petting the cat, yet the hissing didn’t stop, and I heard a soft meow of protest, so I got back to the job.

They had to be from the same home still, but maybe the pain it was too much

That thought made me curl in the couch. I wish I could help more, but he clearly didn’t like my presence even if I could, and there’s nothing I could do about it, at least not this late. I still didn’t know how he got such a deep cut, since my initial theory was wrong, and the chances of knowing are none, but I hope their owners get a grip, and start to take care of them better.

“I need a name for you… for both of you”, I murmured.

Suddenly the hissing stopped, and I heard little muffed taps on the floor coming from the corner. My hands left the soft fur of the cat’s head, and he wasn’t happy at all, but I wasn’t about to get any more scratches.

I saw the red fur of his ears picking out from the side of the couch, then one of his eyes, that bright yellow ones that for the first time didn’t look like they wanted to tear me apart, instead it as almost as if i-

The fox jumped at me.

I didn’t have time to close my eyes.

He stood on 4 paws by my side, bobbing his nose on the cat’s head while whining, and I couldn’t do anything besides watch the scene in front of my eyes. His fur touched my skin lightly, and I didn’t dare to move. Then, finally, the cat seemed to understand what the fox wanted, and gave space beside himself. The whining stopped and both of them laid on my lap, side by side, as calm as the night outside.

I didn’t dare to move, my heart was racing while I tried to process the bizarre scene in front of me, but the thing is, I couldn’t. What kind of animal behavior is that? For my own safety, I didn’t touch them, and tried my best to not move and bother them.

The living room was silent for some time, while I was lost in my own mind.

“Where did you come from?”, I asked after sometime, and both heads looked up to me.

I didn’t mean to ask it out loud, it wasn’t like I’d get an answer.

The cat decided to get up from my lap, and I thought he’d walk away. Instead, he sat on my lap while looking straight at me and raised his left paw up. I took it with my own left hand, a small smile in my face. He was too cute, weird as fuck, sure, but a cute cat.

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you I guess”, I said, moving my hand up and down in the air. “I wish you had your collar, then I’d know how to call you”.

He meowed, and I released his paw, but then he kept nuzzling my hand.

“You want this?”, I caressed his head and the purring started right away.

The fox did nothing but stare, which I took as a sign he wouldn’t attack me. His tail moved from left to right in a calm manner, and he seemed relaxed enough on my thigh. That was good, but his staring was unsettling to say the least. Was he staring so much at? The clothes I was wearing weren’t anything special, could foxes even see this amount of colors?

The fox stood up suddenly, eyes straight on me, and I waited for the worst, however he just raised his right paw up to me, and I took it with care, avoiding his sharp nails in the process. On his neck, there’s a clear sign of where the collar was, his fur was dirtier on a closer look, something I didn’t get to do until now.

“It’s nice to meet you too”.

He took his own paw from my hand, and he made a sound that I could only hope it was satisfaction. The fox bumped his head on the cats’ neck, which the latter didn’t seem to mind. It didn’t hold too much force, just enough to… get attention? The cat turned his head to the fox and there was silence, like they were communicating without me knowing.

I had the urge to look up to the TV, the show I was supposed to watch still there, but I lost enough that I ended up lost on the plot. Somehow, it didn’t feel right to just stare at them at the moment, so I focused on what was in front of me.

I felt the cat moving around my lap, and then another set of 4 paws.

They trust way too easy, but at least that was a good sign of the owner taking good care of them. But how the hell I’m supposed to find them?

“Kitty, you seem really smart”, I say as I looked down at them.

He purred while the fox whined and tapped my left tight, the one he was on top of.

“You also seem smart, foxy”, I tried to calm him down, and my hand almost reached for his fur, but I contained myself. “But you don’t have your collars, and your owner must be worried by now”.

The reaction they gave me wasn’t the one I expected. The word owner didn’t trigger purrs, heads looking around to find him or soft meows, no, it triggered shivers, distressed whines and bodies cowering in a small ball on top of my lap.

I petted them with both hands, while my heart broke at the sight.

Good care my ass, with this type of reaction because of a single word… what the fuck happened to them?

“Shhh, it’s okay, you both are safe, that person isn’t here”, I whispered as I petted them. “You can stay here, you don’t have to go back”, I said desperately as I tried to calm them down.

These clearly weren’t a normal cat and fox, that much was clear, but the moment they responded to me, a word came to mind. They had to be mixed with hybrid genes, that’s the only reason as why they’re so human-like in a sense.

They calmed down while I whispered reassurances as best as I could, because if it was up to me, they wouldn’t go back to an abusive home.

Both of them kept themselves in a little ball, as small as possible, but they were purring at least, and I took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry”, I whispered, because it felt too wrong to speak any louder in a situation like this.

They looked up at me when I said it, still froze in place it seemed, not a single sound out of their mouths, but theirs eyes were telling enough, so expressive that I couldn’t doubt they had hybrids genes.

“I’m sorry that someone was so awful to the point of you both being so terrified, I’ll find a better place for you”.

It was slow at first, but they moved from that position and laid on me, both heads hiding between my body and arms. Their ears hanging low on their heads, and tickling my skin. The softness was shocking still, it felt like a blanket even when they were supposed to be unkempt and dirty.

“Soo, I supposed you don’t want to take a bath, right?”, I said.

The reactions were immediate. The fox looked up, wide eyes, ears shot up on his head and body prepared to run as fast as he felt I’d make him do it, but the cat kept still, and nuzzled my arm even though his eyes were locked on me.

“It’s fine, I won’t make you”, I said as I smiled, and petted both of their heads.

It was bold of me, I could get scratched again by the fox, but he let me did it, so I took it as progress. They seemed wary still, more the fox than the cat to be honest, their personality was shinning through at that moment.

“It’s true, I won’t, I promise you that, but what about a towel? It must be uncomfortable being dirty, right?”

I looked from one to the other. The cat seemed fine, happy even, since he purred as an answer and raised one of his paws to my arm, it was a light and careful touch.

“Can I bring one for you?”, I asked in a soft tone of voice, and he nodded lightly. “Okay, so what about you, foxy?”

His yellowish eyes bored into mine and his body was stiff and wary on top of my thighs, yet he was still careful with his nails.

“You can do it on your own, I don't have to do it for you and I won't touch you at all, I said, and he nodded slowly.

“Okay, can you move, so I can get up?”

They did, both jumped back to the floor, and I took the opportunity to make an appropriate dinner for the three of us while they got themselves cleaned.

I knew the cat could clean himself without it, but I wasn’t sure about the fox, so I laid two towels on the floor for them and I went to the kitchen.

That was the first night. After the fifth night, the three of us developed a nice routine.

They knew they were safe and that I’d be back after work every evening. The second night was enough of whines and cries to know that they were… sensitive to sudden changes. There were food for them available when they wanted it on the little bowls I bought in the that first same night, I prepared all the meals in the mornings, and they could leave anytime if they wanted to, but I wasn’t sure if they ever did. The first time I came home after rescuing them, I was scared they had left for some an unknown reason. Sure, it was getting late, and the streets were unpredictable, who knows what could happen, but it was more than that. I had a soft spot for them already and if I keep up that pace, I’d be really hard to let them go someday.

“Kitty? Foxy?”

The lights of the living room were already on, but there wasn’t sign of them. I took off my coat and let my shoes by the entrance while I was scanning the room. Were they upstairs sleeping again? It was almost snack time. They came downstairs yesterday when I came home, it was the official snack time.

I decided to ignore the worst possible scenario and walked into the kitchen, then I took two bowls and opened the fridge. This amount of noise should’ve made them come downstairs already.

It’s fine, it’s ok, maybe they went out to play outside. It wasn’t fine. I let everything on the counter top and went upstairs.

“Kitty? Foxy?”

I really needed to give them better names than this, but it wasn’t the time to think about it now. They didn’t come to me, nor I heard any noise besides my own steps and nervous heart.

I went through my room, the bed was messy as they like to lay in it when I wasn’t home, that much was clear since day one. Then I went to the guest bedroom, but it was untouched. Maybe they locked themselves in the bathroom, but still nothing as I checked.

I didn’t like to where the possibilities were going, but there was still a chance of them playing outside, so I went to look around the house. There was still enough sunlight, but I didn’t get lucky until I heard a noise, a loud whining coming from the roof.

“Kitty? Foxy? Are you up there? Did you climb to the roof?”

Anyone looking out of their windows would think I went insane. Of course, they wouldn’t understand, no, not a normal cat and fox, but mine were far from it.

I was screaming in front of the house, trying to look up, but there wasn’t a sign of them, none that I could see from the ground. The only answer I got was another whining, and it sounded like foxy, that was enough for me to grab a staircase that I never even used before.

It was an old one for sure, it came with the house, and now I knew why, it was so fucking heavy to carry anywhere. There was the normal staircase, then you could slide two parts up and it’d get even taller. And that’s what I had to do, even though I didn’t trust the mechanism that hold it tight was working as good as it should.

But it was for foxy and kitty, they could’ve climbed there without knowing how to get down for hours, they must be hungry by now too, so I didn’t waste any more time.

As soon as I was on eye level with the roof, I froze in place.

Two men sat on my roof, side by side, curled around themselves to be seen as small as possible, not a single cloth protecting them for the cold and tails hugging each other's thighs.

“Ho-”

“Please, don’t make us leave”, one of them interrupted me.

The voice stunt me for a second. It was so deep, rough even and low, so low and that seemed like a crime because I could barely hear it above the soft wind.

“Don’t move, I’ll bring up towels and let’s get you both down, okay?”

There wasn’t an answer, but I didn’t wait for one. I felt my body out of my mind’s control, there weren’t thoughts running through my head as I ran to get towels for them, nor when they came down and sat on my couch.

Their heads were down, soft and fluffy ears flat against it. It hasn’t been more than two minutes since I found them, but they didn’t look up to me once.

“I’ll bring clothes for you both, one of you can go to the bathroom and the other to the guest room.”

I’ve seen their ears shot up and I couldn’t contain my smile. It was exactly like their animals' counterpart.

“I knew you were hybrids, I won’t make you guys leave, it doesn’t make a difference to me”

Finally, they looked up at me. Another déjà vu hit me hard, but this time it felt different. They were more vulnerable than ever, and it wasn’t because of the lack of clothing, no, I knew better than that. Their eyes told me what I needed to know once again.

“So, how can I call you? I knew I had to change kitty and foxy to your real names at some point”

They looked at each other, speechless, both sat still with hands gripping hard on the soft cloth.

“Right, the introductions can wait, I’ll bring clothes for you both. One can wait for me in the bathroom and the other in the guest room, if you prefer it.”

They nodded and got up.

It was intriguing how their body language was the exact same, too. If it wasn’t by the colors of their ears and tails, I could still say who was my kitty and who was my foxy.

Damn, I did actually call them mine, didn’t I?

THE 'U' IN 'US' - AN ATEEZ SERIES - CHAPTER ZERO

Summary: You weren't really the lonely girl™ of campus, but it does feel like it when you look around, and there's no one by your side when everyone else are talking and whispering between each other. You did have "friends", more like "group projet friends" that you managed to get for yourself, but they were the ones that were real close, you were there only when they had an extra empty seat. But it seems like the gods above took your nonchalant facade as a challenge. Oh, you don't think you need friends to survive through college? Bet.

Pairing: Non! idol OT8 ateez x reader (platonic)

Tags: college! au; hybrid! au; ateez! au; fluff (a whole lot of fluff and wholesomeness); angst; hurt/comfort; mentions of mistreatment and abuse.

WC: 2,2k

N/A: It's finally here!! Please reblog and let me know your thoughts, the feedback is really important to me 💕 If you want to be tagged, also let me know!

INTRO MASTERLIST ONE

Ateez Masterlist

Don’t you remember us?, the words repeating in your head as you stared back at the brown haired boy. Now that your attention was on him and him only, you noticed the smallest of ears picking up from his hair, the color blend made it almost invisible. He was not a human, he was a bear hybrid, and you remembered exactly where you met him for the first time.

The police station was a complete chaos that day. It was a sudden change from the monotony of the small town your father started working at the beginning of his career. There was at least double the people walking left and right. Doing what? You’d never know, but it seemed important enough that you’re too scared to interrupt any of them to ask where was the bathroom, much less your father. He was not in the best mood since you moved, and you hated to be the reason for more stress. Also, he busied himself in conversations you could only watch from a distance, not even keeping his eyes on you sat at an old chair.

He won’t even notice that I left…, how stupid of you.

You wandered off, walking next to the walls so no one would bump into you while carrying a stack of thick papers. There was no sign of a bathroom in the room you were, you didn’t even know where you were, no idea it was the heart of that police station.

You kept walking further and further out of the room into the empty hallways at the back, ignoring the signs at the top of each door, too focused on the triangle dress symbol you couldn’t find. You turned right, but you only found a single wooden door.

The sight was discouraging to say the least.

You sighed, or you thought you did, because you heard it, but it didn’t seem like it came out of your own mouth. Then you heard another sigh, now you were sure it wasn’t you.

You stared at the door a little longer, then up to the sign at the top of it, it said ‘RH waiting room’. You didn’t even know what RH was. A waiting room so far back? Maybe there is a bathroom inside of it. That was enough for you to grab the handle, but it wouldn’t open.

“You have to be kidding me”, you said as you looked up to the ceiling, but you hoped all the gods above could see your disappointment. You were out of luck for the 4th time this week.

Inside the room, there was only silence, something you didn’t notice right away. If you were there, you would be able to feel the tension and fear as the hybrid stared at the door.

“Hey, is there a bathroom in here?”, Jongho repeated the first words you said to him back to you. “You remember now, yeah?”, he could see the embarrassment coming back as you recalled what happened after that, which made him giggle with the others.

You never remembered that moment as funny, because your father told you what RH stood for and why anyone would be there in the first place. But he did.

“Wait, that’s actually the first thing you said to him?”, the one with the bunny ears asked, while laughing so hard he almost fell.

“Yes, I did Min…” you tried to recall as he leaned forward, a glee of expectation in his face as you said his name. “…gi, of course, Mingi”, you said as casually as you could.

He seemed so happy, you felt bad that it was whispered to you behind his back. You would get to it eventually, he did make a good impression of himself when you first saw him too.

“I do think I remember each one of you”, you said as you looked at each of them, one getting harder to greet than the other, until you reached the last two, Yunho and Hongjoong. They didn’t seem to hold any grudges against you, Yunho smiling wider than Hongjoong, but that was a given considering the little you knew about their personalities.

“It’s okay if you don’t, it’s been quite a while”, the blonde boy gestured it wasn’t a big deal with his hands. “I’m Yunho”.

“You didn’t have blonde hair back then…”, you trailed off as you remembered the one day you wished to forget.

“Nor the height, it’s truly unfair”, Wooyoung said with a sad tone as he gave the blonde one a side eye, but his fluffy red tail continued to bounce back and right with energy.

That comment made everyone giggle a little, even yourself. It was true, he grew up well that one, he seemed well nurtured too. That thought calmed your heart a bit.

“So can we sit, then?”, Mingi asked then sighed as if he was standing for hours by the table. Even his long bunny ears were tired of standing on top of his head, alert of all movement around him. He got one lightweight slap on the arm for that. “Ow… why-“, before he could whine, you interrupted.

“Of course, but there’s no-, Hongjoong, Yunho and San already went to get some extra chairs before you could finish the phrase, while the other 5 got comfortable in their sits.

Only then you noticed they wouldn’t be eating since there were no plates

“Do you guys want some?”, you asked as you looked down at your food.

They all declined, including the three ones that just came back with chairs, but you could see some of them eyeing your fries for a bit too long, so you slid the plate to the middle of the table.

“So, every single one of you came to study here, and this is a complete coincidence or this conversation has another purpose than to chitchat?”

In your mind, there was a clear answer. They wanted something from you, and you’ll be glad to give it to them if you could, but what can you do when the cases closed so many years ago?

“We saw you around campus”, Wooyoung said as he leaned over the table, you noticed one of his hands holding onto San’s arm, just like you remembered. “We didn’t think you would recognize us, though”, Hongjoong added after a beat of silence.

“So you followed me here? I don’t get it”, you looked at each one of them.

“No, w-”, Jongho said, but then looked at San and Yunho’s guilty smiles and back to you. “Kind of, some of us saw you around two other times, we weren’t sure it was you the first time, but your scent didn’t change much from back then…”, his voice losing its confidence and volume by the end of the phrase.

“We hoped you would be here, we did not see you today”, Seonghwa cut him off as he leaned forward. His smile was shy, but you could see it was sincere. “That’s the only time of the day we all have to be together before dinner, so don’t worry, we weren’t stalking you together like this”, he giggled while talking and then gestured to them all at the end of the phrase.

The effort Seonghwa had to make to not cover himself with his ears were more than he could express. He was glad his tail was out of sight, clinging to Hongjoong’s thighs in search of some comfort.

It was a weird feeling to be in front of you after so long, and Seonghwa knew the others would agree. He noticed how Yeosang was uncomfortable, readjusting his position on the chair every so often, and how San’s legs bounced without him even noticing.

“Well, that’s good to know”, it was easy for you to smile when they were being so adorable without even making an effort. “But that doesn’t really answer my question, so did you guys just wanted to talk?”

On one side, you had Mingi and Yeosang barely looking at you, at anyone for that matter. Then you had Hongjoong and San, apparently the air was so dry to the point they needed to wet their lips every 3 seconds. Seonghwa, Jongho and Yunho were too awkward to say it first, they could only smile to try to hide their own embarrassment. Wooyoung was eating to keep himself calm.

“Is it that bad?”, your joke made Yunho and Seonghwa giggle and shook their heads. “Then you can tell me, it’s okay, did I make that big of an impression in some of you when we met?”, it was supposed to be a joke, they were supposed to laugh.

But all of them nodded. In such a serious way, too, they weren’t awkward smiling anymore. Their staring suddenly became intense. You couldn’t pretend they didn’t mean it, and you didn’t know what to do with that information.

What could you say? You didn’t do anything to help them, you couldn’t do anything at that age and with the little independence you had. Not to them, nor any other hybrid who stepped foot into that police station.

Your silence spoke for you, and your surprise spoke more than you intended to.

“We just wanted to see how you were doing and to show you how we were doing”, Hongjoong broke the silence.

“I’m glad you all are doing well”, they recognize a certain softness as you said those words, they knew you meant it from your heart.

It was this softness you carried with you whenever you spoke to them that made such a big impression. Humans tend to be harsher while talking to hybrids, maybe because they couldn’t see themselves in their position to be kinder or because they thought hybrids were born stronger and less emotional, they wouldn’t care about those things, right? Up until they met themselves, the only kind one was you, even when it was so brief they barely met your eyes.

“You weren’t even scared”, you barely heard Yeosang’s voice, but the other boys heard him as clear as the day.

He seemed like he was in another world, since he wasn’t looking to anyone in particular. Yeosang jumped out his skin when Seonghwa nudged him on his ribcage. The red colored his cheeks, ears, and nape as Wooyoung did a poor job at hiding his laughter.

You did laugh yourself, but you cleared your throat. “Who wasn’t even scared?

“Hmm, you, you didn’t seem scared when we came by”, Yeosang said as he searched for something to look at to calm himself down, but you did deserve the respect of being look at while being spoken to, so he ignored his instincts and all the bullshit he learned to look at you.

“Why would I be scared of you?”, you said as you watched all of them.

That didn’t even cross your brain, you only realized now. You were too busy wondering why someone would break the ultimate rule of society ‘do no talk to someone wearing headphones’, because that would be much more rare than a hybrid attack out of nowhere. Okay, that wasn’t a real statistic, but it could be.

Yeosang thought you were talking about him for a moment, but then he noticed it wasn’t the case. It was clear no one would ever be scared of Yeosang or Seonghwa, they were at the bottom of the hierarchy, even Wooyoung wouldn’t scare many hybrids, much less many humans. The other 5 were a different matter. By their tails only, one would know they were predators hybrids. Jongho could be underestimated, but smart eyes could tell he was a bear hybrid and not to be messed with.

They were surprised by your genuine question, including Hongjoong, but he felt like he shouldn’t be. You seemed to be just like the kid he met.

“Most people would, but you don’t seem like you are capable of being scared of hybrids, do you?”, Hongjoong said as he observed your body language.

His words carried more meaning than he let it show to the others, but you got it, of course, you did. You also remembered.

“Guess my mom was right when she said I’m not like everyone else then”.

“Fuck, I missed you”, those were the first words San said to you and it caught everyone off guard.

It sounded so genuine and raw, San himself didn’t know what to do now that he said it. Until now, he was observing, checking in with all of the others body languages and emotions, Wooyoung’s more than the others only because he was right beside him. But his own emotions were boiling inside of him, he had to say something to you, but he couldn’t find the right words, well, until now.

Wooyoung was only surprised by the sudden emotion coming from San, but he couldn’t say he was surprised he felt that way in the first place. You must not know to this day what truly happened to them when they met you, but your kindness was the only thing they had to hold themselves onto and if it was up to him, you would never know.

“I’m- I-“, Choi San was blushing like a school girl and that was enough for all chaos break loose.

The other students couldn’t help, but get curious to know what the hell was so funny as laughter dominated the whole cafeteria and to know who were those hybrids that no one saw before.

Tagslist: @asherthehimbo @katsukis1wife @a1i33a @idfkeddieishot @pyeonghongrie-main @h3arteyes4mingi

-> When they reject you…

... but it wasn't a confession (WOOSAN version)

Genre: angst-ish, bittersweet endings, unrequited love (hard to say from each side tho)

Tags/ Warnings: angsty; bittersweet endings; implied bullying in San's part not done by him; implied body shame in San's part not done by him; San's a coward and don't do anything about it; i don't even now what to say about wooyoung's part, that's a warning?

WC: 1,4 k

N/A: I said that I'd make more of these and here they are (after 8 whole months, I'm so sorry). I didn't forget about the lovely people that loved the MATZ version, this is for you guys!

Please reblog my work if you enjoyed it, it helps to reach other people <3

MATZ Version

Ateez Masterlist

JEONG WOOYOUNG (정우영)

You heard the soft buzz of your phone on your beside table, yet the only thing you did was turn around and adjust the thick blanket under your chin. It was getting cold by the minute and a simple thought crossed your mind before you closed your eyes once again, maybe you should see him one last time.

If anyone told you a week ago that you’d be ignoring Wooyoung’s calls, you wouldn’t believe it, but here you are. You could’ve just block him for once and for all, but a little sick part within you liked to hear the proof of his neediness and desperation. Every call were the solid evidence that it wasn’t all in your head, in fact, he was the once who always seemed to cling to you.

The silence filled the room for barely five seconds, then the phone started ringing again.

You wish you could say you slept well that night, knowing that he wouldn’t leave any voicemails, that little prideful jerk. Instead, the same scene appeared over and over in your mind.

You still could feel his hands around your waist. He made it all so casual, natural and comfortable, like it was supposed to be that way between friends. However, you knew he only ever called you late at night, sometimes just to talk when he couldn’t fall asleep, others to beg you to come pick him up and somewhere in between those moments, he made you believe you were special to him. How special or in what way was a work in progress, you were unsure if his actions should worry you, if maybe it was more than friendly, until he made it all clear a week ago.

It was his birthday, so you did everything you could to make a memorable night, even baked the giant birthday cake yourself. Sometime after the loud music turned into background noise, he found you by the kitchen, then asked you to wait upstairs for him. His room was the only one locked in the entire house, so he left you with the key after sending one of his cheeky little winks your way. You still remember how giddy you felt, because you just received the perfect opportunity to give him that one watch he was thinking about buying it for months now.

The whole day you couldn’t really get a hold of him, something you can not blame Wooyoung of all people for, still, it was dangerously close to midnight. Was it too much to ask for some time with you best friend on his birthday? No, no it wasn’t. You weren’t asking for anything much than a simple conversation and a little bit of appreciation, something you were yet to hear from him. So you waited as much as your patience allowed.

Bu he didn’t show up.

And you knew exactly where he was, most likely having the time of his life surrounded by all your mutual friends, and you did love that about him. You’d always say that he was like your personal ray of sunshine, people like him would always have the spotlight and you also knew he enjoyed that very much. How can you wish something else for him on his day? You wish he had all the fun in the world and maybe share a bit with you as well.

So after waiting for fifteen minutes, you decided that you gave him enough grace already. Wooyoung could get lost in the moment sometimes, so you decided you were going to remind him in the pettiest way you could think of.

But none of that mattered when you laid eyes on him, standing at the bottom of the stairs. He held close one of your mutual closest friend, closer then you remembered them together before. They both were in a small circle by the wall, laughing at something he whispered. Were they a thing now? How did you not know? But there was a larger question taking all the space in your head. Is this how you look like beside him? You were used to the closeness, you enjoyed the intimacy, it could easily be you there right now.

Yet, it wasn’t you and it won’t be.

So why the hell can’t he accept that and deal with the consequences of his own actions? You were giving him what he asked for, space.

Still, he’s calling again.

CHOI SAN (최산)

The moment your existence intertwined with San’s back in college, it felt like people’s perception of you changed all of a sudden. You were nobody to most, then became somebody to him and as a consequence, someone to his friends and acquaintances. It would be fascinating to watch if it wasn’t your own life and if it wasn’t so freaking depressing. A frequent comment you’d hear was ‘how odd the two of you look next to each other’, and there was nothing you could do against a sly remark like that, specially when it comes from his so called friends, and you knew San always took that as a light joke about your differences in personalities.

You don’t remember how it happened, one day you sat beside him at the very back of a class you, so desperately, wanted to skip but couldn’t, the other day you both were attached to the hip. And how could you not? Never in you life you thought you’d describe a man as sweet, not with you at least, but there he was, every day, proving you wrong.

To be in the vicinity as someone like him was a once in a lifetime kind of experience, but to be his friend was another thing entirely. San was one of those people that can make you feel at the top of the world when he pays attention to you, the kind of person that truly seeks connection with those around him and when someone talks, he listens with all his body.

You tried to keep those pros in your mind, but more often than not you caught yourself pondering if it was still worth the headache after all those years, like right now.

You promised yourself you’d come to this stupid five-year college reunion, because otherwise San’d whine about it for a whole month, like you not coming would make him lonely somehow, like that was even a possibility.

Then, it started.

It always does one way or another.

This time was a “innocent joke” about how you glued yourself to San back in the day. They all laughed including yourself, you did not want to make a scene, you never do.

Then there was the stares at the two of you sitting beside each other. That was the funniest part for them, the simple thought that you could still have some hope for something to happen between the two of you to this day and age was hysterical. You could tell since the very start of your friendship what those people thought about you and what your place should be.

Maybe if you ever felt anything towards San in that way, it’d hurt you deeply, but you didn’t and still don’t, so it just pisses you off to no end. However, you don’t have the courage to bring it up and perhaps you should’ve done then, but now you barely see any of them, so what is it one more day?

“You’re good?”, he leaned towards you and his hands caressed your lower arm like it was second nature to him.

You nodded, then whispered as you grabbed your purse, “I’ll be back in a minute”.

It was a long walk to the nearest bathroom, outside of the gymnasium, long enough to calm yourself down and to think clearly.

All the while San was downing a drink after the other, laughing at something he barely heard from across the big table of 9 he was in. Red in the face, coughing like crazy in the middle of the chaos, he did not see you walking up to him.

“What?”, he asked the third time, leaning in to hear his friend better.

“Just admit it already, do you like her, don’t you?”

It took him a few seconds to figure it out what that was about, then a flash of you came into his mind and the recognition on his face was clear to them all. He sobered up quick and sat upright, putting his body weight on top of the table.

You don’t hear what the answer was and you don’t need to. Their laughter, his laughter, echoed in between the song change.

So maybe he wasn’t that innocent after all.

Taglist: @h3arteyes4mingi

-> When they reject you…

... but it wasn't a confession (WOOSAN version)

Genre: angst-ish, bittersweet endings, unrequited love (hard to say from each side tho)

Tags/ Warnings: angsty; bittersweet endings; implied bullying in San's part not done by him; implied body shame in San's part not done by him; San's a coward and don't do anything about it; i don't even now what to say about wooyoung's part, that's a warning?

WC: 1,4 k

N/A: I said that I'd make more of these and here they are (after 8 whole months, I'm so sorry). I didn't forget about the lovely people that loved the MATZ version, this is for you guys!

Please reblog my work if you enjoyed it, it helps to reach other people <3

MATZ Version

Ateez Masterlist

JEONG WOOYOUNG (정우영)

You heard the soft buzz of your phone on your beside table, yet the only thing you did was turn around and adjust the thick blanket under your chin. It was getting cold by the minute and a simple thought crossed your mind before you closed your eyes once again, maybe you should see him one last time.

If anyone told you a week ago that you’d be ignoring Wooyoung’s calls, you wouldn’t believe it, but here you are. You could’ve just block him for once and for all, but a little sick part within you liked to hear the proof of his neediness and desperation. Every call were the solid evidence that it wasn’t all in your head, in fact, he was the once who always seemed to cling to you.

The silence filled the room for barely five seconds, then the phone started ringing again.

You wish you could say you slept well that night, knowing that he wouldn’t leave any voicemails, that little prideful jerk. Instead, the same scene appeared over and over in your mind.

You still could feel his hands around your waist. He made it all so casual, natural and comfortable, like it was supposed to be that way between friends. However, you knew he only ever called you late at night, sometimes just to talk when he couldn’t fall asleep, others to beg you to come pick him up and somewhere in between those moments, he made you believe you were special to him. How special or in what way was a work in progress, you were unsure if his actions should worry you, if maybe it was more than friendly, until he made it all clear a week ago.

It was his birthday, so you did everything you could to make a memorable night, even baked the giant birthday cake yourself. Sometime after the loud music turned into background noise, he found you by the kitchen, then asked you to wait upstairs for him. His room was the only one locked in the entire house, so he left you with the key after sending one of his cheeky little winks your way. You still remember how giddy you felt, because you just received the perfect opportunity to give him that one watch he was thinking about buying it for months now.

The whole day you couldn’t really get a hold of him, something you can not blame Wooyoung of all people for, still, it was dangerously close to midnight. Was it too much to ask for some time with you best friend on his birthday? No, no it wasn’t. You weren’t asking for anything much than a simple conversation and a little bit of appreciation, something you were yet to hear from him. So you waited as much as your patience allowed.

Bu he didn’t show up.

And you knew exactly where he was, most likely having the time of his life surrounded by all your mutual friends, and you did love that about him. You’d always say that he was like your personal ray of sunshine, people like him would always have the spotlight and you also knew he enjoyed that very much. How can you wish something else for him on his day? You wish he had all the fun in the world and maybe share a bit with you as well.

So after waiting for fifteen minutes, you decided that you gave him enough grace already. Wooyoung could get lost in the moment sometimes, so you decided you were going to remind him in the pettiest way you could think of.

But none of that mattered when you laid eyes on him, standing at the bottom of the stairs. He held close one of your mutual closest friend, closer then you remembered them together before. They both were in a small circle by the wall, laughing at something he whispered. Were they a thing now? How did you not know? But there was a larger question taking all the space in your head. Is this how you look like beside him? You were used to the closeness, you enjoyed the intimacy, it could easily be you there right now.

Yet, it wasn’t you and it won’t be.

So why the hell can’t he accept that and deal with the consequences of his own actions? You were giving him what he asked for, space.

Still, he’s calling again.

CHOI SAN (최산)

The moment your existence intertwined with San’s back in college, it felt like people’s perception of you changed all of a sudden. You were nobody to most, then became somebody to him and as a consequence, someone to his friends and acquaintances. It would be fascinating to watch if it wasn’t your own life and if it wasn’t so freaking depressing. A frequent comment you’d hear was ‘how odd the two of you look next to each other’, and there was nothing you could do against a sly remark like that, specially when it comes from his so called friends, and you knew San always took that as a light joke about your differences in personalities.

You don’t remember how it happened, one day you sat beside him at the very back of a class you, so desperately, wanted to skip but couldn’t, the other day you both were attached to the hip. And how could you not? Never in you life you thought you’d describe a man as sweet, not with you at least, but there he was, every day, proving you wrong.

To be in the vicinity as someone like him was a once in a lifetime kind of experience, but to be his friend was another thing entirely. San was one of those people that can make you feel at the top of the world when he pays attention to you, the kind of person that truly seeks connection with those around him and when someone talks, he listens with all his body.

You tried to keep those pros in your mind, but more often than not you caught yourself pondering if it was still worth the headache after all those years, like right now.

You promised yourself you’d come to this stupid five-year college reunion, because otherwise San’d whine about it for a whole month, like you not coming would make him lonely somehow, like that was even a possibility.

Then, it started.

It always does one way or another.

This time was a “innocent joke” about how you glued yourself to San back in the day. They all laughed including yourself, you did not want to make a scene, you never do.

Then there was the stares at the two of you sitting beside each other. That was the funniest part for them, the simple thought that you could still have some hope for something to happen between the two of you to this day and age was hysterical. You could tell since the very start of your friendship what those people thought about you and what your place should be.

Maybe if you ever felt anything towards San in that way, it’d hurt you deeply, but you didn’t and still don’t, so it just pisses you off to no end. However, you don’t have the courage to bring it up and perhaps you should’ve done then, but now you barely see any of them, so what is it one more day?

“You’re good?”, he leaned towards you and his hands caressed your lower arm like it was second nature to him.

You nodded, then whispered as you grabbed your purse, “I’ll be back in a minute”.

It was a long walk to the nearest bathroom, outside of the gymnasium, long enough to calm yourself down and to think clearly.

All the while San was downing a drink after the other, laughing at something he barely heard from across the big table of 9 he was in. Red in the face, coughing like crazy in the middle of the chaos, he did not see you walking up to him.

“What?”, he asked the third time, leaning in to hear his friend better.

“Just admit it already, do you like her, don’t you?”

It took him a few seconds to figure it out what that was about, then a flash of you came into his mind and the recognition on his face was clear to them all. He sobered up quick and sat upright, putting his body weight on top of the table.

You don’t hear what the answer was and you don’t need to. Their laughter, his laughter, echoed in between the song change.

So maybe he wasn’t that innocent after all.

Taglist: @h3arteyes4mingi