#bts jin office au | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

minniepetals · 1 year

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yellow lights

— summary: who would have thought your coworkers would mean more to you than you initially thought a year later?

— pairing: bts x reader

— genre: fluff, poly!au, office!au, established relationship

— word count: 7.0k

— warnings: none

— commission for @vickyyy97

“Someone looks happy today. Who’s got you smiling like that, darling?” You look over at Seokjin who greets you the second you walk into the office today, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Was it a man?” He asks and you feel heat slowly rising upon your cheeks.

He takes note of that.

“Well actually, u-um,” you scratch the back of your head, trying to play it cool but knowing nothing can ever get past the Kim Seokjin.

“No way! You’re serious?” Someone else comes up from the other side of the room and you turn to find Jimin and Taehyung walking over, the older of the 95 liner holding a hand over his gaped mouth as if this was the most shocking news he’s ever heard in his life.

“I never knew you had a man in your life already, Y/N,” Taehyung says with an arm coming over to pull you into a headlock as he ruffles your hair.

“Tae!” You whine, pouting slightly at his antics. “I don’t have a man but there was this cute barista I saw just a few blocks away.”

“Damn! She’s now taken!” He smacks his hands over his heart in a dramatic gesture you have to push him off you a bit so the coffee in your hand doesn’t spill over.

“I’m not,” you reiterate.

“But there’s a chance, yeah?” Seokjin says as he takes your coffee cup without permission to show off the number written there. “He gave you his number.”

“That’s…” You avert your eyes, biting your lower lip.

“Ooh, look at that,” Jimin takes the cup in his hand, examining it with a playful snicker, “he drew a little heart.”

“Stop it guys, you’re embarrassing.” You try to take your coffee back, only they don’t give you a chance.

“Hey if it doesn’t work out, you can always come back into my arms to cry, yeah? I’ll always be right here to cheer you up.” Despite how playful he sounds right now, you know there’s always a high chance Taehyung means it more than anything. It doesn’t take over the fact that his constant flirting doesn’t always get you worked up, however.

“I-I don’t think I’ll be needing it but uh, thanks for the offer.”

“Well, whatever happens,” you see Seokjin take the coffee back from Jimin who’s still laughing over the little note the barista gave you, in order to hand it back to you, “as long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

You feel a light pat on your head, a gentle gesture he tends to do when he wishes to cheer you up.

Ah. How sweet.

You feel your heart skip a beat.

“...Thanks Jin.”

“I never took you as a coffee person.” Yoongi, on the more quiet side, as compared to the rest of the boys, gives you a small raise in his brow when he takes note of the coffee you have on your desk for the third day in a row. “I thought you preferred tea or...other things.”

You did once speak on drink preferences though you never thought Yoongi would ever take note of them seriously because they were always just small talks that led to no direction. Yet here he is, raising a brow at the coffee you have.

“Is it the barista?” He asks and you know by now the boys probably all know your encounter with the cute barista a few blocks down the street. When you feel your cheeks heating up, you hear Yoongi let out a small chuckle. “I get it, Y/N. Feelings always start off with the infatuation you have for someone, but you have to keep in mind not to force anything you dislike for someone else. What’re you going to do when you’re unhappy just to keep someone else happy? That isn’t exactly healthy, now is it?”

“You sound like my mom always giving me life lessons,” Hoseok comes in with rolled eyes over his hyung’s words. “Don’t listen to him, Y/N.”

“You know I’m right.”

“Even if you are, it’s not like they can’t talk things over once they get closer. Isn’t that right?” Hoseok turns to you, putting you on the spot and making you freeze up.

“W-well, yes. I suppose so.”

“Well.” Yoongi lets out a sigh. “If you aren’t going to drink the coffee, just order a black coffee and I’ll drink it for you the next time you return.”

And so it becomes a routine where you’re rushing in the morning, ordering the black coffee just to have a small conversation with the cute barista before it’s time for work and once you’re in, Yoongi takes the coffee for you, drinking it.

For a good time it goes on like this; the constant teasing from the boys, Namjoon scolding them, and Yoongi sitting back to enjoy the show with his free coffee every morning.

Though at times you feel Taehyung’s flirty comments are much more common than usual, Seokjin’s a little gentler, Jimin’s a little touchier, Jungkook’s a bit more pouty and cranky, Hoseok’s by your side more often, Yoongi more willing to engage in conversations rather than his usual responses of “mhm” and “yes” or “no,” and Namjoon being more observant.

Perhaps it’s the change in the seasons, perhaps it’s the new project the team’s working on, or perhaps they’re just looking out for you because you’re still a bit new to everything and they don’t want you getting hurt or taken advantage of.

They’re kind after all. Ever since the first day you joined the company since your move here, the boys have been nothing but kind and welcoming towards you, helping you out in areas you need to improve on, exchanging numbers, offering to hang out outside work hours, and just anything and everything for you in order to help you feel more comfortable.

It’s sweet having people looking out for you.

“Date?” One late night with just you and Jungkook left behind, you decide to relay the news to him as the two of you finally finish off for the night. “Well finally, seems like that bastard wasn’t ever going to pick up the guts to ask you out.” He sounds a bit irritated, as he usually would when the topic of the barista is brought up. “So then, where you going?”

“He said he’ll be taking me out to dinner.”

“Dinner, huh? So you’ll be dressing up all nice and pretty for him, huh?”

“Well-” You cut yourself off, looking off to the side with a hand hovered over your cheeks. “It’s..the normal thing to do, right? When..one goes on a date?”

“I guess,” he shrugs, sounding bored with his hands in his pockets.

“I haven’t done this in a while, I’m kind of nervous. Though to be honest, I don’t really enjoy one-on-one meal dates too much, especially with someone I don’t really know that well. I mean even though I find him cute and nice it’s just…hm, I don’t know. It’s just nerve-wracking I guess.”

“Really? Dinner dates aren’t your thing?” Jungkook looks over at you, a bit surprised.

“I just get too much social anxiety,” you chuckle nervously his way. “I mean, there’s always a chance my date might ditch me and I’ll end up sitting there being awkwardly stared at by other customers and the waiter will also be placed in an awkward position. Not to mention the food choices are way too many to choose from and you can never really guess what will be good and what will not. Plus I’m just an awkward person in general when it comes to one-on-one interaction over a formal occasion. What if he finds me boring?”

“He’d be a fool if he did,” he mutters under his breath.

“Huh?”

Jungkook clears his throat, speaking louder this time. “I said that’s stupid to be worrying over.”

“Oh.” You blink. “Is it?”

“I’m not saying it’s–” He pauses, takes a breath in and out before speaking again. “What I meant was, you shouldn’t worry about that because you’re not boring. Well, not to me.”

“Ha ha, that totally helped release all of my anxieties at once.”

“I’m just saying,” he purses his lips into a small pout, “I mean I get awkward with people all the time because I’m an idiot who doesn’t know how to keep a conversation going but I’ve never been uncomfortable with you. You’ve never made me feel bored and I’ve never had a thought of wanting to get out of a conversation with you so it’d be dumb if that bastard did. I’m the most awkward person on Earth. I’m sure you’ll do fine with him.”

You giggle at the way Jungkook seems to shy away after giving you a few compliments, his ears a little red, head turned off to the side but you catch sight of the slight blush on his cheeks under the night sky.

“Thanks, Jungkook.”

“Come on,” he rushes forward, opening the passenger side of the door for you in order to snap out of his embarrassment. “Get in, I’ll take you home.”

“Uh, what? You want me to spy on Y/N?” Namjoon looks the maknaes dead in the eyes before turning his back to them, returning to the coffee maker in the break room. “No. I’m on a break, stop bothering me.”

“Oh come on hyung!” Taehyung whines as he tugs on the hem of Namjoon’s blazer.

“If you’re that desperate to see how her date goes, why don’t you go yourself?” He pauses. “Actually, that’s a bad idea.”

“Yeah exactly! Taehyung and I both know we’d do a horrible job and get noticed right away, which will put Y/N in an awkward situation, and Jungkook here has anger issues so if that barista does something wrong, he’s also bound to get noticed.”

“Listen, I know I have my problems but hearing it out loud still hurts, you know.”

“The truth hurts, maknae.” Jimin pats his head, causing him to frown even deeper. “And Yoongi hyung,” he turns back to Namjoon again, “he’s also bound to punch the dude if something goes wrong. Jin and Hoseok hyung are great candidates but they’re working that day. You’re the only one available, hyung.”

“I’m also working that day.”

“You get out early.”

“How is it that you know my schedule so well, Park Jimin?” Coffee done and set in a cup, Namjoon turns back to the three of them, letting out a heavy sigh. “Can’t you just let it go? Y/N can’t keep staying under our wings forever. She’s a grown woman capable of taking care of herself.”

“Yes, yes, but what if something goes wrong?” Jungkook says, the three of them still holding their stance.

“Seems like you want it to go wrong.” Namjoon takes a sip of his drink, staring them down.

“Whaaat? Now why would I want that? Y/N’s happiness matters most of all and if that happiness is with the barista, why would I wanna intervene?”

“You’re gritting your teeth.”

He avoids eye contact, not even wanting to deny Namjoon’s accusation as he places his hands in his pockets.

In the end, the maknaes’ persuasion skills are much more in effect as they manage to rope Namjoon into their shenanigans, so when the day comes, the man finds himself being there to be the witness to how your date with the barista goes.

And unfortunately on your end, it doesn’t go too well.

“You…have a girlfriend?” You look at the phone he has in his hand when he turns around, surprised you caught him in the act when he excused himself to pick up a call, only to leave you in that restaurant for some time so you decided to step out to check up on him and now here you are, staring at a man who holds onto a dumb expression because he got caught.

“Who’s that?” You hear a voice from the other line of his phone and Woosung turns around for a second again, putting the phone back to his ear as he whispers “I’ll call you back” before turning back shamelessly around with an awkward smile.

You bite your lower lip, feeling like a fool as your shoulders keep their tense state and you take a step back. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Things were rocky,” he says, “we still are–”

“That doesn’t make it right to go around and sweeten up to other girls,” you cut him off, not wanting to hear the excuses. “If you wanted another relationship, you should have broken up with your girlfriend first but instead here you are, making a fool out of me, using me as a side piece. If things went back to normal with your girlfriend, you were just going to toss me off to the side, weren’t you? Or use me as a secret affair?”

“Y/N-”

“Don’t say my name, please.” You take a few more steps back, feeling lightheaded and done. “Don’t contact me again. Delete my number, please.”

You turn to walk off, only to have your wrist pulled back.

“Hear me out-”

“I don’t want to hear anything!” You try to pull your arm back to get away from him but his grip is too tight for you to actually do much. “Let me go. You have a girlfriend.”

“I’ll break up with her,” Woosung tries to concede but you can only scoff in his face.

“Are you serious? If you can go around her back and try to get with other girls, you can do that to me too.”

“Y/N-”

“Let go,” you beg, feeling your voice crack as the tears finally begin to form upon the forceful way he holds onto you, not wanting to release his grip no matter how much you try to escape. “Please, I don’t want anything to do with you anymore, I-”

Just as you feel a drop of tear about to fall from your eye, a foreign hand is placed right upon your eyes to block your vision, the sling of arm he has on you pulling you back against his chest and a voice rumbles from the depths of his throat.

“Do not ever waste your tears on spoiled milk, sweetheart, do not let him think he has power over you,” the voice says, a voice you recognize, a voice that begins to fight off the fear you had thinking you were alone and no one would help you out of this situation. Suddenly the hand isn’t so foreign anymore and you find yourself relaxing a bit into that chest of his.

“Mind letting go of that precious hand, buddy?” Namjoon says, his voice dropping an octave when he addresses your admirer. “We don’t want to make a scene here now do we? Unless you do, and in that case, I can definitely give you a show.”

When he doesn’t say a word in response, too frightened at how grave Namjoon sounds, your rescuer lets out a scoff before giving you a squeeze on the shoulder to let you know that you were to be leaving.

He turns you around, taking his hand off your eyes, but not from your shoulder, and guiding you away from the scene, knowing not to leave you alone until the two of you were finally away from the sight of Woosung.

“You alright?” Only then does Namjoon let you go and take a step back, watching to make sure you don’t look too uncomfortable.

Yet his hands being placed on you wasn’t the problem, it was the fact that you just found out the guy you thought was interested in you had a girlfriend all along, and in the shameful feeling you’re suddenly forced to face tonight, your head lowers to the ground, unable to look Namjoon in the eyes.

“Sorry you had to…see that.”

“Why are you apologizing? You have nothing to apologize for.” He hands you a tissue to which you take, wiping your tears despite it still coming down, and when it seems as if they won’t stop any time soon, Namjoon takes the initiative to take a step forward and pull you into his arms, embracing you in the way you need it.

You bury your face into his chest as he holds you, the night breeze flying past with nothing but the sound of a few cars passing by and your little sniffles, and in this very moment, all you can think is that Namjoon’s arms feel so warm, so comfortable, and so kind.

Just what you need.

Just what you needed.

“Sorry,” you croak out again, voice sounding a little more broken but Namjoon shakes his head as he holds you tighter.

“It’s alright.”

“I probably look like a fool,” you say and yet he shakes his head.

“None of this was your fault.”

“I should have known,” you pull back just slightly to wipe at your eyes, “all men, whether in Korea or elsewhere, has the audacity to be such assholes.”

“Hmm, you’re right. In one way or another, everyone’s the same.”

You look up at him, sight a little blurry. “Why’re you not defending men or saying ‘not all men’?”

“Because that’d piss you off,” you scoff, “and I know how we can be.”

“But you…” You bite onto your lower lip, staring down at his white dress shirt as tear stains and some bits of your makeup managed to fall upon them — a sight he doesn’t care to pay attention to. You now feel embarrassed for a different reason. “I probably look like a mess right now, I’m so sorry,” you cry, hating the sight of your mascara wet on your fingers.

“You’re cute,” Namjoon chuckles and you give him a little punch on the chest, wanting to hide your embarrassment and only causing him to laugh a little more.

“How’d you know to even find me? How’d you even get there in the first place? It was like you were already there.”

“Well…” When he hesitates, you look back up at him, blinking.

“Don’t tell me Jungkook set you up to this?”

“Not just him.”

The maknaes. “Of course it’s them.” You let out a sigh. “I’m kind of surprised with how protective they seem to be, they didn’t come here themselves and sent you instead.”

“They sent me because they knew if something went wrong, they wouldn’t be able to stop themselves before that barista has a couple of bruises on his face.”

You laugh a little at that sentiment. “Well aren’t they aware.”

“If I tell them you cried, I wonder what they’d do.”

“Don’t!” You quickly say, grabbing a fistful of his shirt to make sure he knows just how serious you are. “I already told them where Woosung works at so if they know what he did, who knows what they’d do.”

“Are you that worried?”

“They have absolutely no care for what other people think of them so of course I’m worried.” You quickly wipe the remaining tears left on your face. “I don’t want to be the reason someone gets hurt.”

“I suppose I can leave out a few details.”

“Thanks, Namjoon.” You look around the empty streets of the night, feeling a bit awkward now that things are starting to calm down. “And..thanks…for being there…..and here, right now.”

Namjoon lets out a light chuckle. “Mr. Bang told us to look out for our newbie, didn’t he?” He says, a light reminder of your company CEO’s words to them when you first joined. “Though even without him saying so, we’d still be taking care of you.”

You smile up his way, knowing that if he hadn’t been here tonight, a different outcome would have occurred and you aren’t sure how you would have been able to deal with things were it not for him.

“Sorry you won’t be getting your usual free coffee anymore.” When you take a seat beside Yoongi the next day, something tells you he probably knows the actual full story about what happened the night before unlike the three younger ones. Namjoon probably felt it safe to tell the older ones and that you wouldn’t blame him for it.

He’s right.

Before the man can reply, Jimin’s sliding his chair on over with a comment of his own. “Who cares? Hyung can get his own coffee and there’s always plenty of fishes in the sea.”

“He’s right, I’m a fish,” Taehyung says with a smirk sent your way. “I’m a great fish.”

You laugh a little at that. “It’s alright guys. He was cute but I forgot that pretty faces don't always mean pretty hearts.”

“I’m literally right in front of you but go off.” Taehyung sits himself on Jimin’s lap with a roll of his eyes, causing you to giggle.

“I knew he was a red flag,” Jungkook joins in with his arms leaning over your desk. “Everything about the dude screamed red flag.”

“You never even met him.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t tell,” he argues. “If you ask me, even Taehyung’s a better candidate.”

“See, what’d I tell you?” The older one is quick to agree as his eyes light up. “Why don’t you give me a chance, sweetheart? I’d never break your heart.”

“That’s a lie,” you laugh.

He pouts. “Why would you say that? You don’t trust me?”

“I’m just saying it’s inevitable to break someone’s heart whether you mean to or not. That’s just what happens when you’re in a relationship right? Not everything is smooth sailing.”

“Well, you can break my heart anytime.”

“Alright, alright, stop bothering me and get back to your stations already.” When Yoongi finally speaks up among the conversation you seemed to attract without meaning to, the three boys are quick to obey their hyung’s words, sitting up and scattering to their destination after a quick wave of goodbye your way.

You yourself were just about to return to your own station when Yoongi stops you mid-way.

“By the way,” he starts, allowing you to look back at him, “Stop apologizing, you’ll wear yourself out.”

It’s blunt the way he says it but you know that Yoongi always means well so it makes your insides warm hearing him giving you kind words in return to what you initially came to him for.

“So, what do you think about this?”

Hoseok takes a glance at your computer screen before looking back at you, whose eyes seem to look slightly dreary despite the excitement settled in them.

“I think you need to take a break,” he says and you’re quick to frown.

“Come on, Hoseok, just look it over for a second, yeah? I promise I’ll stop bothering after.”

“You said that last time.”

“I really promise this time!”

“No, you’re lying,” he says with a poke at your forehead, forcing your head to get pushed back away from him. “You’ve been working too hard these days you might actually collapse soon and what kind of sunbae would I be if I didn’t look out for my hoobae’s health?”

“But I’m fine-”

He knows all too well the sudden shift in focus you’ve had on work ever since the failed date with the barista down the street, a sort of focus that forces you to work much too hard and way too much than needed.

“Come on, it’s almost midnight.”

“And?”

You’ve even forgotten what tomorrow implies.

He takes ahold of your chair, rolling it away from your computer so he can make sure everything’s saved before shutting it off, causing you to groan in response, yet when he goes on to get your jacket, you’re reluctantly obedient.

“Have you forgotten what today is?” He asks and you look at your phone.

“The twenty-second of January. Why?”

“What’s tomorrow?”

“The twenty-third.”

He rolls his eyes. “Of course you’ve forgotten.”

“Forgotten what?” Wide eyes, innocent and curious, totally oblivious as you allow him to help you put your arms through the sleeves of your jacket.

Hoseok looks out the window and you follow his eyes, wondering why the night sky has caught his attention, but when there’s nothing there and he says nothing in reply to your question, you go on to gather your things just as he checks his watch.

“Are you free right now?” He asks, not looking up from his watch.

“I have a few minutes to spare.”

“Just a few?”

You chuckle. “I’m free, Hoseok.”

“Great.” He takes a step from where you are gathering your things, sliding up from behind and leans right into your ear. “Happy birthday, Y/N.”

It’s so soft and quiet against your ear but you know you haven’t misheard a thing just as the phone on the desk lights up and you see that it’s 12:00 am, the twenty-third of January; your 26th birthday.

“Come on then,” he takes your bag before you can protest, walking off to have you chasing him right behind, “we’ve got plans.”

“Plans?” You blink, hurrying to keep up. “Wait, what do you mean ‘we’?”

Yet you receive no answer as he takes you in his car and drives off with a grin on his face, leaving you wondering with anticipation for what’s to happen.

It doesn’t take long before the two of you arrive at some sort of park you don’t think you’ve ever visited before.

“Why are we here?” You ask and yet all you receive is Hoseok’s hand asking you to just trust him and follow along. You take his hand and he leads you toward the inner part of the park until you’re standing right before a fountain. “How pretty,” you say, wondering why you never took the chance to ever come to such a place before. “Hoseok, you–”

When you turn around to address the man who brought you here in the first place, there’s no one in sight.

“Hoseok?” You call for him, confused as you begin to look around.

Just then, lights begin to appear.

Pretty little fairy lights decorated along the lampposts and hedges of the part. Bright white and golden all around, leaving you to only stare in awe at the sudden burst of lights gleaming all around while you stand in the center of it all, heart picking up its pace at just how pretty everything looks.

All for you.

No one’s ever done something as grand as this for you, not even your closest friend,s and yet here you are, cherished by people whom you’ve known for only a year or so.

“Do you like it?”

You turn at the familiar voice to see Hoseok with a grin, and just behind him stands the rest of the guys who share the same sentiment.

“Like it?” Words can’t even begin to describe. “I..”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you crying?!” Seokjin’s the first to rush up to you when he sees your hands raising up to your face, taking them in his and blowing his warm breath onto them to warm it up as Yoongi presses both his gloved hands upon your cheeks. “Don’t cry now, this was supposed to make you happy.”

“I am happy,” you say as a few tears slip. “I’m really happy.”

“Are you sure because crying usually means—”

“I promise,” you cut Yoongi off when you see the serious frown he has on his face, a sign of worry as he frets over your tears. “I promise I’m happy.”

“You have such an odd way of proving you’re happy,” he grumbles under his breath, causing you to let out a laugh.

“We have cake but I don’t think you’d be able to blow out the candles in this windy environment.”

January is still Winter after all.

“That’s alright,” you say to Jimin, “we can just pretend the fire’s on.”

And so he goes on to get the cake with Taehyung in toll, and in the middle of the pretty park they’ve taken the time to show you, a soft birthday song rings in the air, and when that’s over, you intertwine your fingers together for a wish before blowing out the imaginary fire on the candles.

January is a bit cold, a little worse when the moon has risen high in the sky, but tonight you feel anything but the coldness, not when these seven boys have taken the time to dedicate themselves to making sure you’re having a good time.

“You know if you keep staring at me, you might burn a hole in my face.”

“Hm? What are you talking about?” Hoseok starts, his chin still propped upon his hand, eyes shamelessly staring without a hint of movement anytime soon. You let out a little chuckle, flustered, and hit him lightly on the chest. “What? Do I make you flustered?”

“You’re almost as bad as Taehyung sometimes.”

“What’s wrong with a little flirting?”

“I’m going to take it the wrong way one day,” you tell him as you get up from your seat to head on over to the printer where a few papers await their turn. “I know you’re all joking though but sometimes, well, admittedly,” you hide your face behind your hair, staring straight at the printing machine to finish its job, “my heart does skip a beat...or two.”

“Really?” He says it so nonchalantly you think your reaction is the least bit of his concern. “Hm, then it’s working,” until he says those words.

“Huh?” You look up, flustered, with blinking eyes. “What do you mean it’s…working?”

Hoseok sends you a smirk just as Taehyung slides up along his side, arm draping over the older man’s shoulder with a mirrored smirk.

“Oh I think you know what that means, darling,” the younger one states, his brows wiggling playfully.

You take the collection of papers that have been printed out for you and huddle them close to your chest, not fully comprehending them only because you wouldn’t want to create a misunderstanding and interpret things wrong when it’s actually meant to have a different meaning.

“I..I-I..”

Before you can finish your stuttering, however, a roll of paper comes along to smack both Hoseok and Taehyung on the head.

“Stop flirting during work hours, you know better than that,” Namjoon warns with a firm expression.

“But you know our girl will never get it if we don’t get to the point,” Hoseok argues.

“The point?” You blink.

“Then get to the point.” Yoongi rolls his eyes, looking exasperated by the antics of the group as he joins the crowd with Jungkook, just as Jimin and Seokjin walk through the doors.

It’s clear the seven of them all know exactly what’s going on while you remain standing there in confusion, left to try to interpret things under your own limited understanding unless they decide they want to come out and just say whatever it is they’re holding out on.

“See, look at her. She’s confused.” Yoongi points out, his head beckoning your way to make them look at you.

You freeze under their stares, not…uncomfortable but more so…shy.

“She’s not confused, she knows exactly what’s happening,” Seokjin speaks up, a slight grin resting on his lips as he walks a few steps forward to take your papers for you. They were meant for him in the first place. “She’s just afraid it might turn out to be false,” he says, purposely staring you down with that glint of playfulness in his eyes.

“Now we don’t want any miscommunications around here, do we?” Jimin sneaks up behind you, hands pressed upon your shoulders. “So why don’t you tell our little one exactly what you mean, hyung?” He’s baiting Hoseok, that slyness in his tone not being able to escape your ears especially when he’s so close to you.

As for the older one, he simply remains calm, instead glancing at the maknae. “Didn’t you want to do the honors? You’ve been waiting for the perfect moment, right?”

Jungkook’s cheeks turn red, his face turning to the side in an instant once the attention is brought down to him instead, and while Jimin snickers, Taehyung holds his laugh, Seokjin hides a grin behind his hand, and Namjoon’s expression turns fond, you find the gentleman who became the first friend you made ever since moving to Korea and working alongside him as a new employee to be quite cute.

He’s always been cute from the very beginning.

You’re the closest in age after all, so with him feeling more comfortable to approach you and make you feel comfortable, you found his company to be a delight you enjoyed looking forward to each day you came to work.

And now here he is, almost a year later, flustered like a teenage boy trying to hand his crush a love letter.

And the boys are eating it up.

“Jungkook?” So you call out to him, knowing he may need a little bit of encouragement to tell you the thing he needs to say, all the while preparing your heart just in case the answer you’re seeking turns out to be wrong and you were just misinterpreting things. “It’s alright, take your time.”

“That’s right, maknae, we’ve got all the time in the world.”

You lightly hit Taehyung on the chest. “You’re not helping the boy.”

He laughs in response. “You already know what he’s trying to say so why not save him the embarrassment?”

“Do I?”

“Oh, would you look at that?” Namjoon raises a brow, impressed. “Someone’s feeling cocky.”

“Huh, no I didn’t mean that!” You’re quick to say, hands rushing to wave it off as you become flustered again. “J-Jungkook I didn’t-” You turn to him, stumbling out your words. “Well, I mean, I think I..I-I don’t exactly..-But if it’s what I think it is..-But if it isn’t, uh-”

“Oh god, they’re hopeless,” Jimin laughs aloud before simply squeezing your shoulders as he leans in. “Why don’t we stop the act and just become ours, hm? I think you know we all feel the same way at this point.”

“Hyung what the hell?!” Jungkook suddenly shouts with his mouth held agape, offended his moment was stolen from him.

“You were taking too long!”

“That doesn’t mean you can take the spotlight!”

In the midst of their little dispute, all you can hear is Jimin’s short yet meaningful confession in your ears, one that seems to make your heart race more than any man has ever made it beat before and you stand there right in the center, eyes unblinking, feeling as if the world is slowing down as you hear each beat your heart drums aloud for you.

“So what do you say?!” Taehyung jumps in, leaving Hoseok’s side to drape his arm around you instead.

“You’re both so annoying!” Jungkook yells, his brows furrowed deeply as his lips jut into a pout.

With cheeks heated and heart set aflame, you take the pouty man’s hand and look him straight in the eyes, taking a moment to calm him down so that the whole room can fall silent, before you turn to look at them all, hands trembling a bit when you say;

“Mmn, I’ll…I can…..yeah.”

Their faces brighten in an instant, and in that moment you realize despite how brave and nonchalant they all may seem to appear on the outside, perhaps deep within their hearts, they were just as nervous and frightened of what your answer may be.

And for that you say the words that Jungkook had been meaning to say but was robbed of the opportunity.

“I like you. I like you so…so much.”

Two years later

“Mr. Bang approved the proposal and he told me he’d be able to connect me with some people and-” you let out a scream of delight as you jump around before Seokjin, taking his hands along with you for him to see just how excited you are right now. “I’m ranking up Jin! I’m ranking up! And soon the company’s going to skyrocket and my efforts will be rewarded! It is rewarded! It’s being rewarded!”

Despite the onlookers of passersby taking quick glances at the two of you as you jump for joy, Seokjin simply smiles fondly at the pretty girl before him, looking her happiest and knowing he’d never want to rain on her parade and cast that look aside.

“Look at that, my little rockstar all grown up,” he says with a smile so gentle and fond of you you think you might fall in love with him all over again.

“Are you proud?” You ask and he chuckles as if the answer was that obvious and did not warrant a question.

“So proud,” he reaffirms your thoughts with hands cupping your cheeks and bringing his nose to playfully graze it with yours before he proudly lands a short yet sweet kiss on your lips.

“Jin, don’t do that in public,” you back away just a little, now noticing the people who’re just trying to walk the street.

Yet Seokjin laughs at you. “I thought you enjoyed public displays of affection.”

“I never said that,” you say as you take his hand and begin to walk off towards the apartment building the eight of you reside in, “that’s Taehyung and Hoseok. And Yoongi doesn’t care about anything so whether it’s embarrassing or not, he’ll do it if he’s in the mood — which can get a little frustrating.”

“Does it?”

“It does. Though now that I think about it, I think all of you except Namjoon and I care about modesty when it comes to displaying affections publicly.”

Seokjin raises a brow. “Jungkook too?”

“He enjoys seeing my reactions!” You say with a huff. “But then when I get him flustered, he goes on a whole rant as if he doesn’t do it frequently to me. Couldn’t you talk to him for me? He’d listen to you.”

“You think he’d listen to me?”

“You’re right, never mind, he never listens to you.”

“I listen well,” just as the elevator doors pop open, someone approaches the two of you from behind, their head propping in between your two bodies, “there’s just a time and place for everything.”

Seokjin rolls his eyes at Jungkook’s response as the three of you walk into the elevator. “It’d be good if you can listen to your elders, Jungkook.”

“Come on now, don’t start giving me life lessons again. It’s just that sometimes tuning some people out is the best thing to do.”

“Excuse me?” You hide your laugh behind a hand at Seokjin’s offended expression but he catches you quickly. “And what’re you doing teaming up with him? You were against him just a few seconds ago,” he says, snaking his arm around your waist to pull you in as you let out a yelp at his tickles.

“You can’t win against our maknae bond, hyung,” Jungkook snickers as he takes your other side, wrapping his arm around you as well.

“Stop, you’re going to suffocate me.”

Just then, the ding to the elevator is heard and you take their moment of distraction to escape their clutches, quick to rush out the doors and run for your apartment door.

When the door opens after unlocking the code, you run right in towards the first person you see, shoes and all.

“Yoongi catch!”

He looks like he’s just gotten up from a nap and yet when he sees you running towards him at full speed, he doesn’t think twice before his arms are instinctively holding you up when you jump onto him successfully.

“What’re you doing back early?” He yawns when another voice chimes in.

“Yeah, you’re not supposed to be back until an hour later,” Namjoon says.

You narrow your eyes. “Not happy at my early arrival?”

“I was trying to surprise you with a cake,” Taehyung yells from the kitchen, to which you turn to see both him and Jimin busy with frostings and cake batter.

“Tae? Baking?” You get down from Yoongi’s stronghold to walk towards them as Hoseok comes around to take your coat.

Taehyung pouts. “Are you doubting my skills? Why don’t you doubt Jimin?”

“Because we all know I’m a great baker.”

“Y/N, shoes.” Seokjin warns from where he stands, pointed eyes your way, stopping you just before you step into the kitchen.

Hoseok helps you out of them so you thank him with a kiss on his cheek.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he nods as he walks over to the shoe rack.

“What’s the cake for?” You step into kitchen territory once approved, peeking over Jimin’s side as he focuses on decorating the cake and seeing the words ‘congratulations’ on it. “Wha..but I didn’t even tell you what the results were.”

“Do we even have to hear it?” Jimin chuckles, stopping midway to give you a kiss on the head.

“You were that confident I’d do well?” Your lower lip juts out, feeling touched by their actions.

“Oh baby, we knew,” Taehyung says, kissing you on the cheek.

“Why is it that you guys spoil me so much? You’re going to overwhelm me.”

“Because you’re our girl, why else?”

Such a calm answer, so straightforward and simple as if that was obvious from the very beginning. They’ve always been like this; considerate and sweet, and when Taehyung pokes your nose and leaves frosting there and you chase him after to exact revenge, when Namjoon scolds the two of you in a calm voice and Jimin shouts at the both of you to not make a mess, Jungkook laughing in the corner, wanting to join in but Seokjin pulling him back, all the while Hoseok and Yoongi simply stands back observing it all, the happiness that bloomed from the very moment you met the seven of them and how they’ve managed to continue allowing you to live in these sweet moments, you know that you will never care for anything else as long as they remain by your side until the very end.

Nothing else in this world matters more than their love and support.

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wooyoong · 11 months

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🧸 freya's recent bts reads (& recs)

disclaimer : there's atleast one fic for each member, but i am yet to widen my spectrum, so you will find less vmin + jin fics. that also doesn't mean i don't like reading them, lol.

note : fic titles labelled with a * mark are series. minors please stay away, strictly. almost all fics here are 18+ !!

— also, i am @sugarwithtea 😭 incase you wanted to check out my writing blog then.

KIM SEOKJIN

* 9 months to fall in love by @floralseokjin (s2l, accidental pregnancy au, 18+)

It seems like everyone around you is either already in love, or in the process of falling, and while normally you couldn’t give a damn, finding out the co-worker you’ve had a teensy crush on is dating someone else at the office seems to sucker punch you right in the gut. It’s stupid, and you’re irritated at yourself, but you can’t seem to shake out of the funk you’ve fallen face first in.

Feeling lonely and heartsore, and mad for no reason, during drinks with your best friend you spot a man at the bar. Tequila confident, you make your way over to the stranger, and successfully one thing leads to another. The next morning you leave before he’s woken up, feeling satisfied in one way, but still as discontented as ever. Telling yourself it was an inebriated mistake, you quickly try to forget about it.

Only, three weeks later that night comes back to haunt you – in a very unescapable way…

* For Love & Money by @jimlingss (s2l, forced marriage au)

For love, you foolishly lied to yourself. For money, you married a stranger.

MIN YOONGI

* Till Death Do Us Part by @colormepurplex2 (e2l, arranged marriage au, mafia au, 18+)

Marital bliss isn't always a guarantee, especially when you find yourself marrying into the family responsible for your own family's demise. Sometimes, marriage is just a game of kill or be killed. Even when there is love involved, bullets still hurt.

Sinful Lust by @oddinary4bts (ft. jungkook, threesome au, 18+)

in an attempt to spice up your bedroom life with your boyfriend Min Yoongi, you suggest bringing another man into the action. Yoongi seems reluctant at first, but when you mention his friend Jeon Jungkook, he can’t deny his attraction. All that’s left to do is to convince Jungkook into participating...

* The Truth Between Us by @jimlingss and @gukyi (e2l, multiple aus, 18+)

a book deal should be the most exciting time of your life, but there seems to be a constant and omnipresent damper on your mood in the form of a certain min yoongi, who you would just cut out from your life, if he weren’t your editor. but then, the world shifts beneath your feet, and you begin to wonder if maybe you’ve always been looking at life from the wrong angle.

* Playing With Fire by @/chanyeolly (ao3) (e2l, idol au, 18+)

Yoongi hates you. Or at least, he thinks he does.

AKA

Y/N works for BigHit and Yoongi is bad at dealing with his feelings.

JUNG HOSEOK

Brevity (But Most Often Not) by @threeletterslife (ft. jimin, s2?, psychopath hoseok)

All your life, you've been with guys who didn't bother to read the news or appreciate the art form of journalism. But Hoseok... Even the way he carefully chooses his words is a sign that you and he are a match. If only he weren't in a dilapidating psychiatric hospital. Then maybe you'd have a proper boyfriend who treated you right for once.

* Arranged by @obiwrites (ao3) (arranged marriage au, 18+)

If you thought entering an arranged marriage with the person you love would be a dream, you were in for a rude awakening. Jung Hoseok was far from the doting husband you’d dreamed of and most of it could be chalked up to the fact that he was in love with his best friend. And you are without a shadow of a doubt, not her.

But what happens when Hoseok starts to realize he doesn’t want you to be her? That there might be more than meets the eye with you?

Fake Love by @aquaminwrites (e2l, fake dating au, 18+)

Every year, your family spends the holidays at your parents’ cottage in the country. Freshly single and not wanting to be picked apart by your family for being alone, you decide to recruit one of your friends to pretend to be your boyfriend. The only available volunteer? Your brother Namjoon’s roommate, Hoseok. Only problem? He absolutely hates your guts.

* Jungle Park by @jimlingss (coworker au, amnesia au)

The equation is simple. Hoseok needs to hire someone. You need a job. Except like any actual equation, it’s not fucking simple at all! Not when you have to add the fact that he was forced to hire someone he doesn’t want in his office, he has little respect for your job in general, and oh yeah...once upon a time you might have—*CENSORED*.

KIM NAMJOON

Not Another Holiday Romance by @kpopfanfictrash (s2l, one night stand au, holiday au, 18+)

You, a perpetually alone (and utterly cynical) movie director, are sent to the town of Snow Falls, Middle-of-Nowhere for your latest film assignment. Stuck in holiday hell until the new year, you’re determined to get in and get out with minimal damage to your Grinch reputation. That is, until a ridiculously gorgeous (and young?!) town historian is assigned to help with your film. Suddenly, you find yourself the heroine of one of those corny romances you direct – and are discovering they might not be so corny after all.

* My Feet to Follow, and My Heart to Hold by @daechwitatamic (r2l, college au, 18+)

You know a lot about the many types of love thanks to Kim Taehyung. You love him as the only person you see as “family”, you love him as your very best friend, and you love him as the beautiful, funny man he’s become. But when a twist of fate during your senior year has you rooming with his good friend Kim Namjoon, you just might find that you have plenty left to learn about love.

The Wedding Arrangement by @/sugalights (ao3) / @sugaurora (s2e2l, fwb au, 18+)

You are in love with your best friend, the only man who matters, Kim Seokjin.

Unfortunately, he's just gotten engaged to someone who isn’t you. Even more unfortunately, he expects you to help plan the wedding alongside Kim Namjoon, his other best friend and, based on your first meeting, just another judgemental jerk.

Putting aside your distaste for the sake of your friend’s happiness, you both set about giving Seokjin the wedding of his dreams. Following a rough and satisfying affair at the caterer’s, you strike an unusual deal: you and Namjoon will be enemies with benefits until the wedding is over. And after six months of wedding planning, you both just might learn that weddings aren’t usually the end, but a brand new beginning.

PARK JIMIN

* Maybe Me by @jiminrings (single dad au, s2l)

summary: maybe it’s stupid of jimin to take on everything at once, all by himself. maybe it’s rash of him to book a long-term stay at a luxury hotel, even if it comes with a family discount. but maybe, just maybe, jimin would have nothing to lose and everything to gain if he lets you in.

KIM TAEHYUNG

Always the Bridesmaid by @kookingtae (e2l, holiday au, 18+)

When you first meet Kim Taehyung, you’re determined to find every reason you can to hate him—or maybe he’s just looking for ways to get on your last nerve. But when a turn of events has the two of you working the wedding of the man you’re hopelessly in love with, you’re too late to realize the real reason to hate Kim Taehyung is because of the latest column he’s secretly writing: “Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride”, and it’s all about you.

JEON JUNGKOOK

* Take A Chance by @crystaljins (hanahaki au, coworker au)

You should have known the second your business partner asked you to plan his best friend’s wedding as a favour that it was going to be nothing but trouble. Especially when it turns out he’s in love with said best friend. And dying of a deadly disease because of it.

on the road (to you) by @cupofteaguk (f2l, road trip au)

as a young adult, one of the strangest revelations is the discovery that peers of yours from past fragile college years are getting married. so imagine your shock and excitement upon receiving a wedding invitation. there are, however, two problems: (1) you are a poor early-20s recently employed adult just beginning to adjust to your 401k plan, and (2) the only available ride to the wedding comes in the form of Jeon Jungkook—friend of a friend, attendee to that aforementioned wedding, and your old college crush.

Sinful Lust by @oddinary4bts (ft. yoongi, threesome au, 18+)

Accidental Roommates by @jjkeverlast (r2l, single dad au, 18+)

moving apartments is stressful and difficult enough as it is. all the planning and packing and multiple moments of rearranging furniture; all you crave is peace.

yet it seemed like peace was far within reach as the owner of the apartment had left out one tiny crucial detail from the ad — a ripped tattooed adonis, coupled, with a tiny baby daughter will come as your roommate.

Rivers Over Stones by @ichorai (e2l, godparents au, 18+)

you hated jungkook the minute you laid eyes on him. the only reason why he was still in your life was because you both shared a goddaughter, hana. but everything changed unexpectedly when the two of you become her caretakers and you’re forced to live under the same roof. suddenly, you find yourself hating him just a bit less. or more, but who’s keeping track?

* Ego by @suga-kookiemonster (s2l, fwb au, 18+)

what’s a girl to do when her sweet, innocent baby lab partner isn’t quite so sweet and innocent? well, he’s a grown-ass man, and you’re about to learn that the hard way.

— a bit of these have not been completed by me, leading to no feedback yet but i know these are good haha!

#bts #bts fic rec #bts angst #bts fluff #bts smut #seokjin smut #yoongi smut #jungkook smut #namjoon smut #hoseok smut #jimin smut #taehyung smut #freya.recs #.list #.bts #.nsfw #.angst #.fluff

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hollyhomburg · 7 months

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Before I Leave You (Pt. 60)

(sneek peak)(Omegaverse au, Mafia au, Bts x Reader)

Summary: Life changes come in many many forms; courting gifts, leaving jobs, and...Murder

Tags: Slow burn getting warmer, Angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, Trans! Tae, Transphobia, gender thoughts, workplace discrimination, flashbacks, murder, graphic violence blood, suicidal actions

W/c: 11.5k

A/n: ah i'm hoping i'll finish this in time! if not T-T i'll be attending my cousins wedding at the time this is posted so! give me lots of love when you read it cuz i'm so nervous~ i've never been around so many fancy people before. also that photo of hobi? in the moodboard? tell me why it makes my heart FLUTTER!!!

Previous part ~ Masterlist

~-~

Chapter 60: Glass Slippers

Your breath goes just a little bit rapid, just a little, hitching when you think of it.

“Did Jin tell you anything?”

“He didn’t. Although my secretary did inform me that he filled out the paperwork for you.” The air in the therapist’s office is cold. Cold enough that it has you wrapping your sweater sleeves over your knuckles.

Your cheeks heat “My pack they- get a bit- protective.” Your fingers circle your wrist. You’re glad that Hobi convinced you to take one of his sweatshirts. He'd had a strange look on his face while he zipped it up, and you'd had to worry and wonder about it the whole morning. You'd worried more once he texted, just after he must have gotten to work.

“I have kind of a history of self-destructive behavior and I- I kind fell into bad habits a few days ago and blew up. It was all kind of triggered by this like- thing that happened with me and my other packmate.” It’s surprisingly easy to tell the truth.

You’re a right side better than you have been the last few weeks, now. A little bit more present, less foggy. The doctor just looks at her screen and not at you. What is it with her asking questions that make you not want to lie? Why does it feel like you should anyway?

Dr. Rima reads between the lines, what you're trying to say without saying it. “Is there a possibility of you hurting yourself again?” She clicks at the screen a little rapidly.

“No.”

The truth is you have no idea. It seems best to lie in this situation. But you consider it; one of your packmates making the call that you are too much to handle, that you need more help than they can offer. You imagine what it would be like to be in inpatient care. Grippy socks and group therapy and probably observed mealtimes. Maybe Iv's and feeding tubes if it came to that. Away from the pack and away from Yoongi.

He’s just downstairs, but that feels too far. There was no way that he was going to let you do this alone, you wouldn't be surprised if he never left the waiting room.

It’s just a therapy session. The very thing that you once refused. But now that you're here you might as well heal, you might as well work to stop this endless train of brief highs and endless lows. you'll give it a go, why not? What do you have to lose?

And yet, the texts from Hobi remain unanswered:

Ho-🐝 (9:48): Hey, I’m really proud of you.

Ho-🐝 (9:48): I’m really happy I get to be your packmate. In case you ever worry.

Ho-🐝 (9:49): And your best friend too <3

Ho-🐝 (9:51): Just so you knowwww

Coming Saturday September 23rd at 5pm EST (Time Zone Adjustment Below)

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hamsterclaw · 7 months

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Fic Library: Seokjin

Worldwide handsome, sexy, absurd, funny, steely Seokjin is always a star, and even more so when he's written by these amazing writers. Check these out and show them some love.

Wrong place, wrong time by @bangtanintotheroom. Seokjin x f! reader in an established relationship, Seokjin's on good form in this hilarious story with the funniest one-liner I've seen in a Jin fic.

The Flower Bridge by @yoongsisbae features Seokjin as a ghost and is soft, sad, poignant and beautifully written.

You can take it by @7deadlysinsfics is soft and smutty and this Seokjin is naughty, sexy and charming.

Fall in hatred by @jimlingss. A sad, stunning and truthful fic about relationships and when they fall apart.

Mood lighting by @sugalaritae features new parents Jin x reader. Sexy, eager, sweet dad Jin is such a treat.

A game of two halves by @madbutgloriouspond was written as part of a sports Jin collab and features an injured soccer player Jin who's snarky, bratty and snappy with his physical therapist reader. There's so much going on below the surface in this story and I love the way Seokjin and reader are written.

Soul on fire by @vyduan is an ongoing soulmate touch AU with a ridiculous but self-aware Seokjin and characters that you root for.

HoHoNO by @imaginethisbts. I always have time for a cracky Christmas fic and this is cracky masterpiece made me laugh so much.

I dream of Jinnie part 2 by @bts-hyperfixation. Written for Kinktober, this is another cracky gem that features a semi-awkward striptease and a fez as well as a subby Jin.

Love language by @augustbutwinter. This office co-workers AU features Seokjin x reader and features a sweetheart of a Seokjin in full hyung mode caring for everyone.

Once bitten, twice shy by @fantasybangtan. A Christmas fic featuring a stellar Bangtan ensemble cast and a warm, fluffy, perfect enemies to lovers setup for doctors Seokjin x reader.

Kiss me by @minisugakoobies is a 90s throwback story set in a college AU with a BMOC Seokjin who's sexy, and dorky, and so so endearing.

A Comedy of Manners by @vyduan is punchy, funny, absurd and beautifully human. It features Seokjin x reader in an arranged marriage AU.

Second first meeting by @taleasnewastime is a supercute Valentine's themed story with an annoying, cocky but sweet Seokjin.

Winter solace by @floralseokjin. A holidays themed story with Seokjin x f! reader that's heartwarming and touches on themes of learning to trust and love again.

Love, lust and life mushrooms by @miscelunaaa is the explicit Super Mario bros themed Seokjin smut of my dreams and I won't hear any different.

#fic rec: seokjin #fic rec: jin #fic recs list: seokjin #fic library: seokjin

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hisunshiine · 10 months

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—grey area: avoiding the red | ksj

📈pairing: CFO!seokjin x senior accounting manager!reader 📈au/genre: CEO au, fake dating au, c2l, fluff, smut, angst 📈rating: M 📈wc: 27,659 📈warnings: swearing, vulgar statements, misogyny, eventual mutual pining, fake dating bet, leg injury/sprain, minor boat crash, explicit sexual content: strawberry juice dripping, straddling, making out, clothed grinding, marking, fingering, consent seeking, foreplay, unprotected sex, cock riding, wall sex, stairs sex, mutual orgasm, breast play, oral (f & m receiving), cum swallowing, hair pulling 📈an: beta readers: @peachiilovesot7, @downbad4yoongi, @heathfritillary-blog, @colormepurplex2, @moonleeai, @pennpad-bts thank you so much for all of your beta reading and brainstorming and help! to all my readers who have stuck by me, you mean the world. I am so sorry it took me so long to post this, but it's finally here! 📈summary: Recently inducted CFO Kim Seokjin is the head of finances at JinHit Conglomerate after his father retires. You, the senior accounting manager for the company, begin to stomp around in your heels complaining about areas that need mitigating for the business to continue to run smoothly after a meeting gone wrong. When Seokjin makes a bet with you to see if the two of you can hide a romantic relationship from work peers, several things are revealed OR The one where Seokjin wants to get you only in your heels.

taglist: @flxrcnt @ggukkieland @yoongisdragon

in the red (idiom): spending and owing more money than is being earned

Jaw clenched tightly as you ignore the tension running through your body, your finger slowly scrolls the webpage you’re viewing on your laptop. Price tags be damned, you couldn’t care less about the cost of the bejeweled heels—you had to have them. It will just have to wait a few paychecks before you can purchase them. If you could even afford them after today. The Saeda 100 Unicorn Printed Satin Pumps with Crystal Embellishment; a gorgeous colored pump that would be the pièce de résistance to an all black or white outfit.

Online shopping is one of your favorite coping skills, a great calming technique to get your mind off the email you received almost a half hour ago, for a meeting you were summoned to attend in five minutes. A meeting JinHit’s Board of Directors summoned you to attend, to be exact. You checked the email several times, opening the list of recipients to full view to see everyone who was invited, and the vein throbbing in your forehead pulses at the reminder.

Only the C-Suite and the heads of each department will be in attendance, and the knowledge of what this could mean sends a shiver down your rigid spine. Seokjin had asked you to prepare the financial report last week for the board to review; it doesn’t seem coincidental that the meeting is being called a day after you sent it.

Adjusting your position where you sit in the meeting room currently, having arrived earlier than normal to choose your favorite seat, you cross a leg over your thigh, bouncing your matte black Balenciaga Knife 110MM pumps in time with your anxiety.

“Can you please just relax?” Seokjin mutters. “The constant bouncing is giving me a headache.”

You grit your teeth, molars grinding against each other as you hold back your remarks. Easy for you to say, you think, not all of us have the luxury to relax. Stilling the ankle that was flexing up and down in a jittery dance, you lower your leg and straighten your slacks.

“I’m sorry, sir.” My leg wouldn’t bother you if you hadn’t followed me from the accounting wing. “The board meeting has me worried. If office gossip on WeVerse is anything to go by, I’m afraid we might not be employed for much longer.”

Jin twirls a Montblanc fountain pen worth more than your monthly rent as he stares at you, nonplussed.

“I highly doubt that, Kicks. There’s no need to exaggerate. You’re busy looking at expensive heels again, anyway, so it’ll be fine.”

You huff at the nickname he’s bestowed upon you for your shoe obsession, rolling your eyes as you close them before taking a deep, deep breath and letting it out slowly.

“Maybe you’ll still be CFO of JinHit, sir, but not all of us are nepo-babies. If anyone is going to be fired, it’ll be me. So I’m looking at heels to see the last thing I can purchase with my severance pay before I’m destitute. Sir.”

“I don’t know why you bother keeping up pretenses by calling me ‘sir’ when you talk to me like that,” he mutters. “Calling me a damn nepo-baby.”

You run down the list of all of the attendees in your head once more. Kim Namjoon, CEO, Kim Seokjin, CFO, Min Yoongi, General Counsel (the company's main attorney and primary source of legal advice), Jung Hoseok, JinHit Entertainment Division manager, Kim Taehyung, recently promoted Property Acquisition Division Manager, Jeon Jungkook, CIO, yourself, and a few other heads of departments you aren’t as familiar with. Lastly, all of the board members, minus Park Jimin’s father, though he’s in the room instead, stepping in for his father who is away on vacation.

“You make me laugh, Kicks. I’m so glad to have you by my side.” Seokjin can’t help but chuckle.

“If only I could say the same,” you grumble under your breath.

“One day, you’ll say you love me.”

Rolling your eyes, you turn your attention to the men walking in through the door. Discreetly you close the tab to the Jimmy Choo website and pull up your email instead, awaiting the soft ding! that alerts you to the agenda and any additional documents you will need.

The room is full of the sounds of creaking leather and quiet chatter as the gentlemen settle into their seats for the meeting to commence.

📈📈📈📈📈

“This is an outrage!”

“What have the heads of finance been doing? Getting their fucking dicks wet by fucking secretaries in the janitor’s closet?”

You narrow your eyes at the older man who had the audacity to speak in such a way during a meeting, seemingly forgetting that the Senior Accounting Manager is you, and that you do not have a dick to fuck said secretary with.

“Please, Mr. Choi, the finance department has been working just as much as everyone else, and the Senior Accounting Manager,” the CEO gestures to you as he reminds the man of your name, “she has been more than transparent with me about the state of our finances for this quarter.”

The other men in the room appear to have the wherewithal to look flummoxed at Mr. Choi’s outburst in the presence of a woman, but their reactions don't keep his thin lips quiet.

“So, she’s the one getting fucked in the janitor’s closet. Either way, the finances are abysmal and something must be done!” Mr. Choi throws a printed copy of your financial report in your direction, and you can see the top sheet flutter onto the floor with your name splashed across it. He was being obtuse on purpose—he knew damn well who prepared the financial report.

Seokjin’s hand clamps down on your thigh, holding you back from lunging across the table at the grey-haired misogynist as he speaks.

“Please, Mr. Choi, I know you’re a little jealous that no one is fucking you,” everyone in the room laughs at Seokjin’s light banter, “but I promise you, the finance department is working on options to help make up for the expenses.”

Incensed, Mr. Choi stands up, face red with fury at being made a fool. You almost expect him to turn his ire on Seokjin for his words, but the reality of the situation is that Mr. Choi would never dare to curse out the son of the previous CFO and namesake of the company.

“As the Senior Accounting Manager,” he starts with a sneer, “you should’ve had a better handle on what was happening right under your nose.” He thrusts his fat finger at you, spittle flying as his anger gains traction. “This is why women shouldn’t be in positions like this. You’re useless to this company, and if it were up to me, I would fire you for letting the company get so close to the red line. Seokjin, she reflects poorly on you.”

“Mr. Choi.” Namjoon’s tone is final as he rises to his feet, dragon eyes cutting daggers. “Please respect my employees.” The ‘or else’ is not said, but implied.

You shake with rage, holding back tears of frustration at how no one is coming to your defense. Sure, the CEO asked the board member to respect you, but only after said board member had already besmirched your name. After he had so rudely made insinuations about how poorly he thinks of you and ignored that Kim Seokjin is the Chief Financial Officer and the true overseer of the finances. No one says anything to defend your honor or put the man in his place for talking to an employee this way.

“I’ll respect her when she does her fucking job right! You have until the first quarter of the new year to fix this shit.” Mr. Choi turns and leaves the room dramatically, and for once, you’re glad that you didn’t say anything, because you aren’t fired—yet. Had you opened your mouth, you might have been.

The rest of the room quietly turns to light talk as you direct your heated face to the open report on your laptop. The finances for the year highlight some of the major spending across the departments totalling several million once all added together; several million that were not accounted for at the start of the year when budgets were drawn up and outlined.

First, there was the $2 million dollar loss from the Property Acquisition department thanks to one Kim Taehyung and late paperwork, then stocks dropped from the Facebook video released of C-Suite members and the impromptu start of the non-profit side company NAMU. The cost of going green to implement practices to support NAMU and raise the value of the stocks once again, and the cost of acquiring a new partnership with LeeCo Cosmetics due to Hoseok’s arranged marriage.

“Ahem,” Namjoon clears his throat, calling everyone’s attention. “Now that everyone has had ample time to review the finance report, I think the best way forward is to come up with a plan to implement for the start of the next quarter to change the projection of the report away from the red line.”

“How long do we have to develop a plan?” Seokjin asks, eyes darting over to your silently seething frame.

“You have the month, Jin. December will be spent researching in order to make a decision and create a plan to implement in January. We will re-evaluate the financial report at the end of the first quarter to ensure that there are no negative consequences for the decisions we’ve made, and go from there. Remember, the fiscal year ends March 31st, so we only have the quarter to fix this. Dismissed.”

The room empties out, with Namjoon cutting his eyes at Seokjin to keep him seated. You still needed to gather the documents and calm down before you did something rash, so it’s just the three of you left once the door swings shut.

“Seokjin, I understand why, but do you have to always be so unserious?” Namjoon sighs out.

“What do you mean? I was just giving back what he was dishing out,” Seokjin defends, not seeing the issue with what transpired.

“You know he went and called your dad as soon as he walked out of the room, right?”

“And? The man retired—I’m the CFO now, not my father. It’ll be fine!”

Namjoon just stares at him, before giving you a pitying look that you despise. You know he means it more as sympathy for how you were treated, but it makes you feel different from the others somehow, like you can’t handle the atmosphere of the “wealthy businessmen club”. He nods at you both before he stands and leaves, and Seokjin is not far behind him.

You bend down to gather the documents once your breathing has regulated.

You were right to have been worried about this meeting.

The first week after that dreaded meeting, you spend your time researching the various financial avenues the company has and begin to dissect them for potential areas of mitigation. Seokjin pulls you aside into one of his many offices, this one located on the financing floor, and tries to talk to you about what happened with Mr. Choi, but you don’t let him get but a few words out before cutting in to tell him off for letting you take the blame as soon as the door closes behind you.

“You actually sat there and didn’t say anything to that sexist pig!” You jab Seokjin in the chest to emphasize the last three syllables. “I should report him to HR for sexual harassment! That’ll teach the geriatric asshole.”

Grabbing your shoulders gently, Seokjin leans his face down to your height. Maintaining a calm, soothing tone, he attempts to placate you. “Kicks, I did speak up, but he’s my godfather and I can’t go around cursing my daebu (대부) at work—”

“You didn’t speak up to support me, Seokjin, you made a joke and defended the department, but he was attacking me, and you didn’t say shit. None of you did.”

Pulling away from him, you wrap your arms around yourself as if to self-soothe with a hug, taking several deep breaths to compose yourself. His touches have been growing more frequent lately, and you can’t tell if it’s because you’re acting like a deranged woman since the dreaded meeting, or if you’re noticing it because of other reasons. Not that you would ever date a coworker or anything…

Stepping away from him allows you a chance to breathe, despite how nice it feels when he uses physical contact to comfort you. Arranging your features, you steady yourself as you turn on your heel to face him again.

“I’m sorry for my language, sir. If you will excuse me, I’ll take my lunch now and then we can meet to discuss my findings.”

Without waiting for Seokjin to respond, you step around him and exit his office. You walk towards your desk and grab your convertible laptop and a thin manila folder before you head out of the finance wing. Trekking through the hallways to the elevator, you shake off the outburst as you pass through the waist-high metal safety gate and into the lobby. You hear a high-pitched voice yell out your name.

“Hey, I know you’re plenty busy, but I’ve been tasked with spearheading the holiday party committee, and we need your approval for the budget. Can you sign off on these documents for me?” Ji-Soo asks. “If I had the time, I would run this up to finance,” she adds, “Seokjin is so hot…Damn. How do you handle working so closely with him?”

The front desk representative bats her kohl-lined eyes at you, swinging her long black hair over her shoulder. Her flowy off-the-shoulder blouse reveals a cute, tiny heart-shaped tattoo inked onto her skin. You hate her insinuation that you’re attracted to your boss and the way her eyebrows move as if to suggest that you and Seokjin are anything like her and Jimin. You may find him good-looking, but you have more sense than to be seen C-Suite hopping.

Ignoring her second question, you respond, “I’m on my way to grab lunch, but I can review the documents and let you know if the budget is approved.”

Ji-Soo’s face morphs into one of distaste.

“Why do you need to review it? Can’t you just sign it now? Seokjin always approved the holiday party budgets in the past.”

You groan, knowing that you would be competing with the legacy Seokjin left behind after his promotion to CFO after his father stepped down for retirement. When it was okay to be fiscally irresponsible, because other employees hadn’t racked up millions in expenses out of the blue.

“Sorry, Ji-Soo. Orders from the stakeholders—all budgets have to be reviewed before approval.” You grasp the papers she unceremoniously brandished at you and tuck them into the manila folder. “I’ll get this back to you once it’s been properly assessed.”

“Hey!” Ji-Soo calls after you as you walk away from her, “I need that by the end of the week! Party planning is not cheap!”

Feet still moving, you wave your hand over your shoulder at her, not bothering to spare her a glance. “End of the week, got it!”

Lunch is boring; you hadn’t actually meant to leave for your thirty-minute break today, but after your outburst you felt some exercise would do you good. The small cafe near the office building is the perfect spot to set up your laptop and browse through documents, the Jimmy Choo website, and perk up with a late afternoon latte.

Opening up the fillable PDF file for budget assessment proposals, you begin reviewing the holiday party plans. It pains you to see some of the outlandish expenses they want: an ice sculpture of the company logo, open bar with top-shelf liquor, performance by an upcoming American artist breaking into the scene, and several gift packages for raffles, just to name a few.

Downing the rest of your coffee, you type up your review and draft an email to Ji-Soo, attaching a PDF scan of her proposal and your budget assessment, denying her requests. You ask her to reduce the cost of the party by several hundred thousand, providing a list of things she can mitigate to reach the approved goal, and then you turn on your auto reply so as to avoid her wrath. Walking back into the office building, you blend in with the after lunch crowd and make it back to the small finance department conference room to meet with Seokjin.

Seokjin’s POV

Kim Seokjin sits in the conference room in finance, several levels away from his office where the other C-Suite executives reside, waiting for you. Seokjin has worked with you for several years in finance before his promotion, and you were by far the most qualified Senior Accounting Manager he’s ever met.

He knows he’s lucky to have you, and not just for your skills and personality—you’re also easy on the eyes. Seokjin’s always been tempted to ask you out, cross that boundary of coworkers, but the timing’s never been right. With his promotion at the start of the year, the chasm has gotten wider, his resolve fading with it.

After you leave for your lunch break, he settles into the conference room replaying the way your hips swayed as you walked away from him. Chuckling at the way your perfect image cracked and he got to hear his name roll off of your tongue—that is until the smile is wiped away as he remembers what led to it. You were right. He didn’t defend you in that meeting earlier in the week, simply too gobsmacked by Mr. Choi’s choice of words to even think clearly. The image it put into his head, you in the hallway closet with those legs wrapped around his waist, letting him fuck you into oblivion—in just those heels you stomp around in, so authoritative-like…Seokjin licks his lips as his fingers clench the edge of his desk, before he shakes the image away.

He hates that you feel like you do; growing up he spent so much time at the office, running around with Namjoon as their dads built the company from the ground up, and the women in the office always took care of them.

Mrs. Im was the payroll bookkeeper when he was just a child; his love for numbers and accounting started with her. She tutored him in math through primary school, even helping him pass the Suneung, or the CSAT national test, to get into college. He saw how hard it was for her to move up in the department, often being looked over for her male counterparts, despite being better than them. As far as the finance department goes, payroll is the lowest on the totem pole. Mrs. Im only made it one level up to Staff Accountant, despite being able to count circles around the men and it never seemed fair.

Now, the company is much more with the times, with many women in not only the finance department, but in information technology, and men in nontraditional roles as well, like the secretary who is in the entertainment department, Kai. As for your position, the only person above you in the hierarchy is himself, and some days Seokjin wishes he could promote you into his role for all your hard work. He curses his daebu in his head for the way his backwards thinking has negatively affected you, and then curses himself for not being able to support you the way you deserved in that meeting.

Seokjin fields text messages from his father about the company’s finances, Namjoon’s assumption that Mr. Choi called his father, having been correct. It’s been an ongoing conversation since the moment he left the meeting—his father bothering him day and night about his behavior.

아버지 (Father) - 12:48 pm : You should not have spoken like that in a meeting. Choi told me that you were talking back, not taking any accountability for the financial crisis the company could be facing, and that girl was impertinent. For once, can you just take this job seriously? Can you take your life seriously? Jin - 12:49 pm: Aren’t you retired?

Once your lunch break ends, Seokjin can’t hide the smile on his face as you enter the room, setting your belongings on the table with a sigh.

“Ji-Soo stopped me as I was leaving to talk about the holiday party. Can we discuss it at the end of the meeting?”

“Of course. Let’s get the business out of the way, then.”

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“Absolutely not.”

“But sir, the amount of money that we spend every month on the Friday event, especially with it being a half day of work getting done…even to reduce it for the first quarter could make significant gains to remain in the black.”

Seokjin crosses his arms across his chest, leaning back in the office chair.

“You have to understand, Kicks. The Friday event is only once a month. It’s important for employee morale, not to mention the amount of impact we have on the community right here. There’s the Cho family who runs the Korean street food truck. Half of their monthly revenue comes from this one day. The parents have a daughter in college and she has a small son they look after while she’s in class. They wouldn’t be able to support them both without us.”

You level Seokjin with a gaze that he wishes he could act upon, taking you up on the challenge it serves.

“You want to continue Fun Fridays to save this ONE restaurant?” you ask, leaning your elbows onto the table as you peer closely at Seokjin, analyzing him. Your hands are clasped tightly in front of you as you hold back the urge to fix the wayward strand of hair that falls across his forehead.

“Well, no—not just this one. It helps all of the local companies who come out to provide for us—this was just an example that should pull at your heartstrings.” Seokjin leans towards you, placing his hand atop yours to sell the sentimental connection he’s using to keep Fridays as is. “These are real people who rely on us. And our employees rely on them. People want to work here and our stocks do well because the employees brag about once-a-month Fridays on WeVerse. It would be foolhardy to our reputation to remove it.” He gestures dramatically with his hands to emphasize just how foolhardy he finds it, and you suddenly miss the warmth of his hand on yours.

“Fine.” You look down at the next item on the list, gathering your thoughts away from the dangerous path of Seokjin’s hands on yours. “My next proposal is to make a change to the employee health benefits. I looked into it and we can lower company costs if we choose the specific provider for employees. I’ve found a clinic with three primary care doctors that provided us with an estimate. They project to have a great low cost for the company and there would be less contribution from the employees as well. A win-win.”

You smugly slide over the information you gathered for Seokjin’s review. He can’t help but admit to himself that this is a possible option. He doesn’t like that it would throw off the plans already in place, but as long as the doctors are reputable, he feels confident in this choice.

“Can you tell me a little bit about the clinic or the doctors we would be assigned?”

“Sure, uh, their names are…Hyun Yong-in, Jung Hyun-tae and Lee Wan-soo. They work for—”

“—Incheon 21st Century Hospital,” Seokjin interrupts. You glower at him.

“Next idea.”

“What? Why?!”

“Because, Kicks, if you had done a little more digging, you would know why the fee is so low. They had a massive lawsuit, malpractice and fraud, allowing interns and assistants to perform surgery on patients without consent or supervision. They should’ve lost their licenses. I didn’t realize they were done with their jail time. Two years goes by fast.”

He watches you pale visibly at the news, just a few shades lighter than normal as you swallow the information. Folding his convertible laptop so that it becomes a touchscreen tablet, he taps for a few moments before proffering the screen to you.

“Oh,” you gulp. “Well, I have one more idea to help the company.”

Pulling out the printed paper from the manila folder, you pass the list of departments to Seokjin for him to review.

“These are all of the departments of JinHit Conglomerate with a brief description of what they handle.” Leaning over, you point to a small subsection under the Information Technology sector. “This right here is a small department that is listed under IT, but could also be considered Marketing. It houses the Social Media Managers—three employees who oversee engagement, content, and analytics for the company’s online platforms and presence.”

Seokjin nods.

“Yes, they are the ones who caught wind of the video Khaity posted…We had to make sure that moving forward they didn’t contact the board first, but me and Joon.” Seokjin shakes his head at the memory. “That was a shitshow,” he mutters.

“Well, take a look at the expenses this department has incurred. The cost of new equipment for all three members, including desktops here in the office and work devices, to take on the go and to have at home; high-speed gigabit internet speeds, several purchases for access to databases and systems to track the company name and various projects we are working on, a stipend for food—I don’t even know why they need that—plus these charges to the company card for a massage therapist to come in-house three times a week!” You huff in indignation at the ridiculousness of the expenses as Seokjin’s phone chimes from an incoming message.

“So what are you proposing we do? Cut out massages? Or are you offering to be my personal masseuse? I have a few areas you could—”

“I will call HR so quick—”

“I’m kidding, sheesh! You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“I’m not flustered! Anyway,” you redirect the conversation away from another spiraling train of thought as your tablet dings, “this department incurs more expenses per member than some of the entertainment sector, so I think we need to merge these workers into other departments with a significant decrease to the special treatment they have been receiving and do a sweep through ALL department expenses, mitigating all of the superfluous things, like fucking massage therapists being on-call in-house three times a week.”

“The employees are not going to like this—we've always allowed them the ability to not be micromanaged when it comes to workplace spending,” Seokjin answers, but he knows this is the best bet to meet the board’s requirements and stay on your good side. “But okay.”

“Great. I’ll draft the memo to be sent out as soon as possible so that from now on, all expenses will be reviewed by me before charges can be processed by the company.” A quiet pinging chimes as you talk. “All spending must go through a request and approval process. I’ve already drafted the forms for requesting funds, and this is a great segue into Ji-Soo and the holiday party. She can be the first to complete the new process for approval, since I’ve already completed the form and sent it to her.”

Jin huffs out a disbelieving chuckle, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment of relief.

“Well, that explains the back-to-back emails she’s sent while we’ve been talking. She must not understand that emails are not like text messages.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say that Ji-Soo is surpassing the CEO with her IQ score.” You click the keys on the tablet keyboard, avoiding looking at Seokjin, lest you start to laugh as another ding fills the silence from his constantly chirping phone.

“Kicks! It’s so rare to see you snip back—she must’ve done something to get under your skin.” Seokjin smirks, thinking about how he wants to be next.

“Just thinking about how if we could fire some people, that would also help with costs.”

“For now, we’ll stick to option three and your plan to assess all company fund requests. I’ll report this to Namjoon and you can work on your memo. And please, if you love me at all,” Seokjin pauses so that he can stand up and gather his device and pen, “reply to Ji-Soo before she files a complaint.”

“Yes, sir.” And you will, but not because you have any kind of feelings for your boss.

Reader POV

Ji-Soo is not happy with the reply email you sent to her, but you don’t care. Unfortunately, it’s your job that’s on the line, though you wish it would be hers. Her many office dalliances are of no secret to you thanks to being so close to one of the C-Suite employees, but there isn’t much you can do about it.

The rest of the weekend and following week is spent writing up the memo for the CEO to approve and send out to all departments, prepping all of the review documents you will be using for requests, and meeting with the CIO, Jeon Jungkook, to discuss the rearranging of the IT Departments so that the staff members can be placed accordingly.

Friday afternoon, a reminder email comes through about the Company Holiday party happening tomorrow. You didn’t forget about it—not with the way Ji-Soo bothers you almost daily about how hard it is to plan the event with the limited funds you provided her. You roll your eyes at her email—the slight dig at the change of venue due to the financial department’s mitigations did not go unmissed by you.

In actuality, she has the same amount of money for decorations and food as previous years—making her use the JinHit building as the location instead of renting out an expensive ballroom or hotel conference room allowed you to approve her decorations, food, and drink budget.

Moving the email into the relevant folder, you close down your computer for the weekend, excited to finally be done with the long week. You plan to attend the event, and as you pack up your belongings to head home, you think through the various outfits in your closet to piece together what you might want to wear.

“Hey, Kicks!” Seokjin’s loud voice calls out to you as you wait for the elevator car to arrive on your floor. The finance department is located on the 48th floor, below the C-Suite offices, and it isn’t every day that people frequently travel this high. Most of the Property Acquisition department left earlier, also located on this floor; so the quiet atmosphere allows his voice to travel farther than usual.

“Hey, Seokjin. Have a good weekend,” you say in greeting and farewell so as to not prolong a conversation. He doesn’t take the hint and steps next to you, his heady cologne filling the elevator waiting area. His black hair is pushed back off of his forehead, showing his annoyingly handsome face, and you turn away from his brown eyes smiling at you.

“Oh, I’m sure this weekend will be more than good. Are you coming tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Need to witness with my own eyes how it turns out so Ji-Soo can’t lie.”

Seokjin laughs as the elevator sounds to alert that the carriage has arrived. The two of you board, the enclosed space unsurprisingly empty. Being alone with him is nothing you aren’t used to—but lately you’re noticing he’s frustratingly handsome, which makes it harder for you to still blame him for the finance meeting debacle.

“Sounds like something she would do,” he finishes after laughing, pressing the button to the 50th floor, causing the trajectory of the elevator to lurch upward.

“Seokjin!”

“What? You know I have two offices and I left my briefcase upstairs. Wait for me, please?” he begs as the door opens and he takes off at a slow jog down the hallway. You sigh, pressing the door open button a few times as you wait for him to return. You’re annoyed and ready to go home, and this just highlights how much he enjoys getting under your skin and earning a reaction from you. He’s back quickly, only slightly out of breath as you press the button for the ground floor.

“Thanks, Kicks. It’s creepy leaving here by myself.”

You look at him incredulously.

“It’s not creepy. Most of the lights are still on!”

“Barely! Plus now that it’s winter, the sun sets earlier. Look,” he gestures out the elevator’s tinted glass window. “It’s already setting.”

“It’s not setting, it just looks darker because the glass is tinted for shade so we don’t fry on the way up to the office.”

“If it’s hot in here, I can get off,” he offers, pointing to the button for the 37th floor that he can press to stop the motion of the elevator’s descent.

“You really think you’re hot, huh?”

“You don’t agree?” Seokjin challenges, stepping into your space. His arms cage your body in, and he tilts his head to look down at you. You fight the urge to stare at his lips, instead biting your own as you maintain eye contact.

“Oh Seokjin, there are so many things I don’t agree with you on.” You decide to take this opportunity and fluster him for a change. You close the gap dividing you from Seokjin and begin to run your hand along the top of his head, as if in a loving manner. You hold back a laugh at the way his eyes close in contentment at the feel of your fingers sliding along his scalp, unaware of your actual goal. Your fingers curl around his locks, giving you a good grip to pull his head back and away from you.

“Ow, ow!” He hollers as he steps away from you, releasing you from the tension built within his arms.

“Sorry, sir.” Smugly, you cross your arms as he rubs at his scalp while shooting daggers at you, knowing it’s all in jest.

The two of you continue to playfully banter on the way down to the main lobby, parting ways as he heads to his reserved parking spot and you walk to the bus stop near the building that most employees utilize to get home.

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Glancing at yourself in the mirror, you fix your dress, eyes leaving the thigh slit in your dress to gaze at the black Louis Vuitton FAME pumps adorning your feet. The cocktail dress is black, showing off ample shoulder and legs, while accentuating all of your best body parts. Grabbing your winter coat and clutch, you head downstairs to the waiting KakaoTaxi that will take you to the office.

The lobby of JinHit is full of people arriving, greeting each other and taking photos in front of the ice sculpture of the company logo. On the other side of the main desk from the elevators, a makeshift coat check has been erected, with a small line of your coworkers turning in their heavy coats so they can enjoy the party. After dropping off your own jacket, you make your way to the elevator, waving salutations to coworkers you see. The CEO’s secretary, NaBi, poses with the CIO, Jungkook, in front of a beautiful backdrop of a snowy forest, fake snow falling from a machine positioned above. Yoongi and Jimin stand to one side, clearly arguing back and forth about something, though both have a smile on their face. Reaching the elevator, the doors open as soon as you press the button, and you’re quickly rising to the 5th floor.

The 5th floor is often referred to as the Study Area, because it houses several quiet areas for the employees to access. The entertainment section uses it the most, with the various celebrities signed to JinHit doing work, studying their craft, and holding meetings in the rooms. The first door, and the main location of the party is called The Library, because one side of the wall is filled with bookshelves and books, while the opposite side holds floor-to-ceiling glass windows. There is a balcony within The Library that looks down upon the main floor, and tonight, it’s filled with white covered tables with a good sized area for people to dance and mingle.

As you take in the decorations, you can’t help but admire Ji-Soo’s efforts, and when she appears from a side door directing a working staffer on the placement of silverware, you tell her so.

“Thank you, YN…not that your goal to cut down on spending was of any help.”

“Yes, I am sure that this is not the venue you had in mind, but you’ve done a wonderful job.”

“Wow, babes, this looks great!” Jimin walks into the room, followed by Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook.

“Yes, I worked very hard for almost two weeks on planning this.” Ji-Soo curls herself into Jimin’s arms as he wraps an arm around her waist. They walk further into the room to allow the crowd to enter, and soon The Library is full of people grabbing plates for the buffet line and getting drinks from the bar set up beneath the balcony. You decide to get a drink first, avoiding the crowd lining up to get first dibs on the food emitting a delicious aroma into the room.

The bartender is skilled, shaking bottles and pouring liquor for your waiting coworkers. The Malibu Bay Breeze you ordered is paired with a couple of cherries that sway in the glass as it slides down the bar to you. Taking a sip, you enjoy the refreshing taste of the cran-pineapple and coconut rum as it takes over your tastebuds.

“What did you order? Is it good?”

You nod your head at NaBi, who recently joined you at the bar, as you take another long sip from the thin black straw.

“It’s perfect! Not overly sweet, but the rum isn’t overpowering it either.”

“I’ll have to try that one after I finish my amaretto sour.” She gestures to the bartender who is mixing her order.

“They taste so good, I bet the party will get a little wild soon.”

You both look at the crowd on the dance floor, surprised that so many people are already swaying to the beat and most of the tables are full with diners. The event planner is wrapped around Jimin, body gyrations bordering on dangerously inappropriate for a work party. NaBi laughs at the display before leaving you alone to join her work husband, Jungkook, at a table near the thrusting lovebirds.

Heading to the buffet line, you decide to eat before you order a second drink, wanting to keep some semblance of control over your gross motor functions and not end up as the gossip all over the WeVerse App.

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“Wow, Kicks…you look amazing.”

You try your best to turn around slowly, but the alcohol seems to come out of nowhere and you’re a little wobbly on your platform pumps. Luckily, you didn’t choose a stiletto, or you might have fallen straight into your boss.

“Hello, sir. Thank you.” You blink a few times, trying to get his handsome face to stop turning into triplets.

“Why are you hiding up here?” He looks down at your coworkers from where you’re both standing against the clear railing of the balcony. “Are you okay? Too much to drink?”

“You know? I think the juice tricked me. It was sweet so I had a few more than I usually would…now you have twin brothers.”

Seokjin guffaws loudly, but the music is now so loud it doesn’t draw anyone’s attention.

“You look a bit flushed, do you want me to get you some water?”

“Actually, yes, can we go get water? I was afraid to go downstairs in case I tripped and fell.”

Seokjin nods, offering his arm to you so that you can balance as he walks you over to the stairs to guide you down them safely. You thank him as he leads the way to the bar, loosening his bowtie as he motions for two water bottles. You fan your face as he uses one hand to pick up the bottles placed on the bar, and taking in your current state, Seokjin places his hand on the small of your back to head towards the outdoor access entrance through the glass wall.

The winter chill of the night air is soothing to your hot skin and you sink into the patio loveseat to rest your heels and your eyes.

“Here,” the crackling of the water bottle opening signals you to reach your hand out blindly and grasp the cool plastic.

A big gulp and deep breath help immensely, and you feel the loveseat dip as Seokjin drops down next to you. His body heat radiates comfortingly, and you catch yourself cuddling into his side. You miss the way Seokjin’s eyes sparkle at the initiation of touch.

“So, despite cutting costs, the annual holiday party turned out pretty well, I think,” Seokjin says, raising his water to his plush lips to drink before continuing, “did you have fun?”

“We’re still here, but yes, I am having fun. Thank you for getting me outside. I feel a lot better.”

“That’s good,” he murmurs as you curl into him more, seeking his heat. He hesitates before lowering his arm around the back of the loveseat, resting it behind you as if to welcome you into his space more. “I can’t believe it’s already December.”

You sit upright, a gasp leaving your mouth as his words ring in your eyes.

“Oh my god, it’s December.”

“I know I just said tha—”

“I missed your birthday!”

Seokjin watches your face as it cycles through all of the stages of grief before settling on a pouty acceptance.

“It’s no big deal, I didn’t get to celebrate much with everything going on right now. We’ve had to stay late and double check the daily financial reports, and I’ve been meeting with the department heads and it’s not a big birthday anyways. Next year though, you better remember.”

You nod solemnly, tipsiness clouding your ability to see through his playful manner. “Yes, sir. I will, I promise.”

Seokjin chuckles at your seriousness, hand moving to the top of your head where he smooths down the pieces that were disturbed when you had leaned into him. You preen at the touch, chest pushing into his side as you close your eyes and enjoy the feel of his fingers against your hair.

“You’re cute when you drink.”

You glare at him as best as you can, but it just makes him laugh harder.

“So, what do you want for your birthday? Or for Christmas since I missed this year?”

Seokjin’s face turns thoughtful, eyebrows furrowing together as his eyes look to the night sky in thought.

“I think…I just want my father to recognize how much I actually care about the company. I’m trying to be the best CFO I can be, but man, if by Christmas he can relax from hounding me over the finances, that would be fucking great. If not, by next year we better be as far from the red as possible.”

His words strike a chord with you. The past week that you’ve been working hard at the mitigation plans and finance approvals, you didn’t even take into account how busy Seokjin was—to the point he didn’t even make a fuss about his birthday. He’d actually been really helpful, providing you with information to make your job easier.

“We will be, Jin,” you promise, “you’re doing a great job helping me with mitigating things. Speaking of—I wish we could mitigate her.” You stare pointedly through the window back into the building, where a very drunk Park Jimin has his white shirt unbuttoned seductively low as an equally drunk Ji-Soo is taking pictures of him with her phone.

“Ji-Soo? She’s harmless.”

“No one who has slept with a C-Suite executive is ever harmless to a company. Workplace romances rarely work out. She isn’t harmless; she’s a risk, and untouchable right now.”

A strong gust causes Seokjin to shiver, unconsciously pulling you closer to his body and you seek his warmth. Closing your eyes, you cuddle into his broad chest as you listen to him continue with the conversation.

“She’s just the front desk secretary, Kicks.”

“Exactly. A lower level employee who has slept with both Kim Namjoon, the CEO, and Park Jimin, a board member’s son—who knows who else is on the list. She can choose to sell her stories to the highest bidder, at any time, for any reason. But she does her job, so we have no reason to fire her that wouldn’t be contestable in a court.”

“Ohhhh,” Seokjin’s eyebrows raise cutely, “the risk is that she could cause us to spend money in court, be tied up in litigation, or spend money on a settlement.”

“I knew you were the CFO for a reason,” you smile up at him from where he has you comfortably tucked, and he looks so handsome from this view.

“Ah, Kicks, you need to have a little fun in your life. No risk, no reward.” He winks at you, and under the city lights, he looks dazzling. “I would also like to point out something you may or may not be privy to…but I happen to know there are currently four successful workplace romances happening at this moment. They’re cute,” he sighs wistfully, “I wish I had a cute work boo.”

“Yes, I am privy to this knowledge, seeing as I work with you, gossip queen,” you tease, “but also, relationships can look one way to outsiders, but in reality, there could be all sorts of issues, abuse, infidelity, petty arguments…”

“Yeah, those are my friends outside of work—accusing them of abuse and cheating is a bit of a reach to try and prove your singular example right.” He looks at you thoughtfully. “I bet if we were dating, we would easily be successful. Not everything is a risk.”

“If we were dating, we wouldn’t be stupid like them,” you nod back to where the two lovebirds are canoodling in the shadowed corner of the room, “but still risky nonetheless.”

“How about this…I’ll take you out on a few dates, and we can see if anyone we work with catches wind of our fake relationship. I think we could keep it under wraps for two weeks.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“How about those pretty Jimmy Choo heels you were eyeing? Prove me wrong and they’re yours.”

You feel your eyes grow wide, imagining those coveted heels on your feet as you walk into work once the new year rolls in.

“I’m feeling like I may regret this in the morning, but what the hell, I want those shoes…It’s a deal.”

📈📈📈📈📈

The following Sunday evening finds you lounging around at home, cleaning and doing laundry as you sip a glass of red wine and come up with your list of rules for your challenge with Seokjin. In the light of day and with sober minds, you texted each other, realizing that you need some way to measure the challenge. Also, he needed to make sure that you weren’t set on sabotaging the relationship from jump, just to get the shoes.

Jin (8:47 PM): I’ve thought about it, and here are my rules. Okay? We’re dating, so act like we’re dating but be discreet and don’t tell anyone and win on purpose. You (8:47 PM): That’s…so professional of you. Jin (8:48 PM): There you go again… You (8:49 PM): Shut up. You (8:50 PM): Anyways, here’s what I came up with: [Link to spreadsheet] No telling anyone that we’re dating during these 2 weeks ~Saturday Dec 9 - Saturday Dec 23 Must go on 6 dates, 3 each week, with at least one date each week right after work, where you drive us Have to attend two meetings together with other coworkers and successfully get away with the following: Disappear at the same time from desk/office during peak work hours for 30 minutes, twice during week 2 without anyone growing suspicious of the two of us missing Jin (9:02 PM): I appreciate your attention to detail, but also, you kind of take the fun out of the dating part. You (9:04 PM): You want to make sure I don’t cheat, and I want to make sure you don’t either. So, in order to test this accurately, we need to be able to measure it. By having set actions and goals we have to get away with, I think this is the best way to determine who wins in the end. Jin (9:05 PM): We could just act like a couple and wing it, but I guess knowing what to do with you is easier. You like being touched…noted. You (9:06 PM): Don’t make it awkward. Jin (9:06 PM): You didn’t mention kissing at work? Are we doing that? I think it would be fun. Jin (9:08 PM): Or does that come with the sneaking away? Should I pick up some listerine for the office? Any preference on condom brands or flavors? You: {Left on Read}

📈📈📈📈📈

Sitting at your desk, your eyes drag to the bottom corner of the computer screen to the email alert. Clicking it open, you see a message from Seokjin with weekly reports he’s run for your review. As you begin to open the spreadsheets he’s sent, you notice he’s changed his signoff at the end of the email.

Your Handsome Lover, Jin-Oppa

You hold back a gag, unable to believe the audacity he has, before it turns into a giggle. He really has no shame, you think, deciding two can play this game. Hitting reply, you send him a thank you, making sure to sign off in like.

Leaning back in your chair, you stretch before diving into the work he sent.

Time seems to fly by, with the sun filtering into your office slowly moving across the carpet. You don’t notice, so engrossed in your work as you are, that Seokjin is leaning in your doorway, eyes watching you with a soft smile.

“Ready to go, baby girl?”

Seokjin’s voice startles you, breaking your concentration. Your boss has changed out of his business suit slacks, a crisp pair of blue jeans tailored to fit his body now gracing his frame as his button down disappears into the waistband. The sleeves are rolled up halfway, revealing his expensive watch and veins as he flexes involuntarily.

“Seokjin!” you gasp out, clutching a hand to your chest above your now racing heart.

“Now, is that any way to address your boyfriend who is about to take you out on a date?”

You raise your eyebrows at him.

“Fake boyfriend, you mean,” you correct, gathering your purse onto your shoulder as you lock your computer before looking down to arrange the printed reports neatly.

“Real enough for the next two weeks, baby girl,” he counters, voice significantly closer.

You feel the warmth of his body pressing into your backside as he envelops you in a hug, his face nuzzling into your neck as if seeking comfort. Freezing, your body betrays you as a burst of butterflies flit around your tummy and your neck cranes as if to accommodate his face, waiting for him to plant a kiss on your sweet spot.

Instead he steps back, and it takes you a few seconds to regain your composure.

“I’m gonna regret signing my email as that, aren’t I?” you question, following him out of your office.

“Hmm, it's possible, but more likely, you’ll prefer it to Kicks and ask me not to stop calling you that.”

“Doubt it,” you mumble, though your conscious thought is looking at you skeptically. It’s been one day, and your body is already taking this fake relationship as reality.

“We’ll see,” is his only response, though after the two of you step into the elevator, he reaches for your hand.

“You’re quite the touchy-feely boyfriend, Jinnie-Oppa,” you tease.

“Because I know it’s what you like. I know you’ve identified set things you’d like to do to test the relationship, but I’m more of a go with the flow guy, y’know? And I have a reputation to protect. Fake or not, I’ll be the best boyfriend you’ve ever had.”

Again, the traitorous butterflies appear, and they remain long after he’s dropped your hand to walk across the lobby to the parking garage entrance, looking mischievously around the lot as he opens the passenger side door to let you into his car.

Date number one surprises you, as you’re expecting Seokjin to resort to either typical chaebol actions, like a fancy reservation at an upscale restaurant, or be lazy with his choice, and take you to something owned by his family. Seokjin did neither, instead he surprises you with a fun outing. He swings by your place, telling you to change into something casual and you’re glad you did. Zzang Games, located in Hongdae, is a multi-floor entertainment center, perfect for competing or pairing up for various arcade and VR games.

For a Monday evening it's not too busy, mostly tourists and students on the claw machines and engaged in battle royales, and you think it’s pretty smart of Seokjin to choose this. Your coworkers most likely would not be out at a place like this on a weekday, so you’re less likely to get caught, and as a date, it’s definitely the type of relaxed setting that would allow two people to learn more about each other. If that was something the two of you were interested in, which it’s not. Right?

Later that night in bed, you fall asleep thinking about how much fun you had with Seokjin and that maybe he’s right about workplace romances, but if he is, then you can kiss those Jimmy Choo shoes goodbye...

Seokjin wasn’t lying to you when he said he would be the best boyfriend you’ve ever experienced in the two weeks assigned to dating, and it’s only been three days. Yesterday, you received a delivery of flowers discreetly signed from Your Lover. Several of the women that share your floor asked about the blooming perennials, curious to know who they came from. You just said it was a new thing, much like the vase full of buds that was blossoming; not yet a relationship, but still something nonetheless.

Today, just before you head to the Tuesday weekly meeting, Seokjin comes into your office to deliver you a cold French vanilla latte with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle across the fluffy topping.

“Well isn’t this sweet,” you say with a thank you, instantly mouthing at the whipped cream. You watch as Seokjin’s eyes follow your lips as you try and get the excess cream off the sides of your mouth. Turning away from you, he moves to leave. You follow, ready for the meeting, when Seokjin stops abruptly, turning on his heel in the doorway.

“What—”

His plush lips land on yours, a hand moving to the back of your hair to hold you in place as he gently bites your bottom lip before pulling away from the unexpected kiss.

“You missed a spot, Kicks, didn’t want anyone else coming to your rescue in the meeting.”

He steps away, resuming his path to the conference room as you blink feverishly at his departing silhouette. It takes you a few seconds to gather your wits and hustle after him, heels click-clacking on the tile as you hurry to catch up.

📈📈📈📈📈

Meetings lately suck.

Ever since you, or, the finance department, has been put on the hot seat, it feels like everyone is looking to you to fix things that aren’t your area of concern. It doesn’t help that you and Seokjin have made this stupid bet to see who is right about workplace romances. All so you can have those coveted Jimmy Choos.

“Thank you Taehyung, I’m sure the board will be able to vote on your proposal after reviewing the presentation.” The CEO’s voice snaps you back from where you’re daydreaming, face still warm and mouth tingling from your fake lover’s amorous encounter earlier. Absent-mindedly you run a finger across your bottom lip, not really listening to a word any of your coworkers have to say.

“Next up will be an update on the finances—we’ll take a quick five minute break before we resume.”

You jump when you feel a hand on your thigh, a soft pressure as Seokjin turns your chair gently towards himself.

“Hey, are you okay? Do you want me to present this time,” he says lowly into your ear. You feel the breath of his words caress your neck, a shiver rolling down your spine at how close he is. His hand then moves to your back, and to anyone in the room watching, it would look like two work partners preparing for their presentation.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Maybe because you look a little…flustered. Don’t worry baby girl, this presentation’s on me.” Seokjin grasps your hand under the conference room table, and you don’t really hear anything else he says as he brings his other hand to the tablet in front of you, clicking a few things so he can connect to the projector now that Taehyung has packed away his materials. “That was much longer than five seconds, I think I’m killing it.”

“Huh?” you question, confused.

He releases your fingers from where they were intertwined with his own, raising his hand to wiggle his five left fingers in your face with a smug look.

“Just sit here and look pretty, darling,” he jokes, but his eyes look serious when he swoops his hand over your ear, tucking away a wayward strand before standing to present, “and can you click through the slides for me?” he says this part louder, drawing everyone’s attention to you.

You can only nod, bashful and confused, and curse Kim Seokjin for being so goddamn charming, and so damn good at this game.

📈📈📈📈📈

Seokjin’s POV

Date number two the following day is your idea—a nice tandem bike ride along the Han River before sunset. The temperature is chilly, but you make sure to warn Seokjin in advance so he meets you wearing a warm fluffy white jacket, a matching beanie, and gloves. He’s thankful you let him know to dress warmly.

Seoul winters have 5 AM sunrises and near 8 PM sunsets, so the view along the river is gorgeous, a clear Wednesday with barely a cloud in the sky. Seokjin can’t believe he actually works up a sweat during the leisurely ride, but with the sun still out and no clouds to offer any shade, when the two of you finish your trip, he strips off his jacket for a breather.

He notices the way you eye his arms as they flex to grab his wallet from his back pocket so he can pay for your hot cocoa. It makes him feel good about himself, and his chances with you once this competition is over. What better way to make you fall for him and realize dating him is feasible, than by a trial run—as he likes to call it.

Seokjin is aware that you play by the rules, not just in work, where it’s expected, but in your day to day too, in relationships with coworkers and how you move through life. The only time he’s witnessed you behave in a way that goes against this is when you splurge to buy heels online. He feels like it was pure luck that he was able to finesse his trial run relationship with you, but he knows it is the data that you need to prove it’s worth the risk—he’s worth the risk.

When you shiver from the breeze coming off of the river, he wastes no time layering his fluffy jacket over your thin, long-sleeve athletic shirt, loving the way the jacket dwarfs you despite your heeled boots—yes, even when riding bikes, you make sure to have that slight lift that makes your ass sit ever so nicely in your jeans.

He enjoys the way you snuggle yourself deeper into his jacket, subtly inhaling the scent of his cologne and it’s just another confirmation to himself that maybe you could really turn this into something real with him, that maybe you like him back. He played it safe with the first date, and your choice for today is cute, but he doesn’t have much time to prove to you that he’s serious. He knows that the next date is the time for him to turn up the heat.

📈📈📈📈📈

Reader POV

The atmosphere in the restaurant for date three is so far removed from the arcade of date one, you don’t really know how to behave. You use the term restaurant loosely, seeing as you are currently floating along the Han River. A candlelight dinner on a ferry at sunset was not what you expected from Seokjin. Looking around the room, you can’t help but notice how many of the tables are empty in comparison to what your friends have told you about this experience, but you’re sure Seokjin pulled some strings. There’s maybe seven other couples in the room. He confirms as much as he pulls your attention back to him.

“I bought out as many of the tables as I could to ensure your utmost devotion during our date, and still you can’t keep your eyes on me,” he jokes, bringing his wine glass to his lips, “but some people had already purchased tables and I couldn’t get them to refund it.” Your eyes follow the burgundy liquid as it slips between his lips, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows it down. You tug at the form-fitting maroon dress you have on, one that Seokjin presented to you before leaving work to make the reservation.

“I was just wondering why it was so empty, but now that I know, I promise to focus on you.” You hate how much you don’t hate how the words sound; Seokjin is a sight to behold as the sun begins its descent below the horizon, and you find that you don’t want to look away from him. It’s a bit confusing for you because there’s a small part of your brain that doesn’t want to like this. He’s your boss, for one, and two, your competitive side is thinking about the fact that you want those shoes. Plus, you also like to be right. Though if you’re being honest with yourself—

“All women do is lie,” Seokjin says, paired with a firm settling down of the glass goblet onto the tablecloth. “Promising to focus on me, and then daydreaming seconds after—unless you were daydreaming about me?”

“Yes, daydreaming about strangling you for being so insufferable.”

“Didn’t know you were also into asphyxiation, but I will add that to the list alongside ‘likes to be touched’.”

You want to wipe the smirk off of his face. You take a deep breath, reminding yourself that this is Kim Seokjin, and no matter how he seems to fool you for a moment, give it a few minutes and he will say something to reign it back in.

“So, I know we’re going to run this relationship for two weeks, and I thought about the perfect way to figure out if we pass or fail.”

You nod as you take a bite of the filet mignon on the plate before you. “Oh, do tell,” you implore, chewing delicately so as to not appear impolite.

“Be my date to Namjoon’s Christmas party.” Seokjin’s nonchalant tone throws you for a loop and you miss the connection between the two things.

“Be your—excuse me,” you cough, clearing your throat from when you inhaled unceremoniously. “You want me to be your date to the CEO’s Christmas party?”

“Yeah, it makes perfect sense. When we arrive, everyone will either act surprised seeing us as a couple, or think that I invited you as my friendly, plus-one coworker. Either way, we can use that as the true test to see if we passed or failed.” Seokjin grins proudly, waiting for you to applaud his brilliance.

“Hmm, it does seem like a good idea.” You look back at your food, hiding the fact that you were confused earlier. “I’m assuming the people invited will be people who attend meetings with us or work with us regularly?”

“Obviously, I wouldn’t suggest it otherwise.”

“Fine, I guess I’ll be your date.”

“Great. I’ll forward you the e-vite later tonight so you can prepare yourself for it, I know how you are.”

You smile softly at him; despite his teasing tone, you know that the act of sending you the details is one that shows he knows you and cares to some degree about your comfortability. He’s seen you freak out a few times over lack of information before meetings or events that you’ve had to attend for the company. You wonder what other things he’s filed away about you to make sure that you’re taken care of, so to speak. Maybe this is also who Kim Seokjin is. His duality is throwing you for a loop.

Before you can think of a way to safely broach that topic, the live band playing shifts to a song you recognize, but without lyrics, you can’t name it just yet.

“I love this song!” Seokjin surprises you when he comments, proffering a hand to you. “Do you want to dance?”

In the fading sunlight, his eyes sparkle with a joyful playfulness that you can’t say no to. Taking his hand, you allow him to pull you towards an opening, thanks to the lack of patrons on board, and gathering you into his arms, the two of you sway to the beat.

You are acutely aware that his hands are placed right at the small of your back, pinkies bordering the curve of your ass as you hold onto his broad shoulders.

“Relax a little, can you look like you actually enjoy dancing with me?”

“Sorry, I—”

“Shhh, just dance with me—you look beautiful by the way.” He smiles down at you, and you comply, wrapping your hands to rest casually around his neck to loosen your stiff posture as you try to hide the heat rising to your face.

As the music plays, you hear Seokjin humming gently along to it before he begins to sing lightly. “Say my name and everything just stops, I don’t want you like a best friend…Only bought this dress so you can take it off, take it off, ah ah ah~.”

Hearing the lyrics jogs your memory of the song, and you remember how much of a fan Seokjin is of Taylor Swift. Until the words catch up to your brain and you look up at him scandalized.

“Only bought me this dress so you can take it off?” you ask, trying to step away from him, but his hold on you is firm.

“Kicks, everything that I buy you from here on out, I would love to remove from your body, except for the heels.” He doesn’t look at you, playfully swirling you around in a circle with a smile, but there’s a sincerity in his tone that you can’t shake. You bite your lip, unable to stop the racing thoughts as he takes one of your hands from where you’ve moved them to his chest, spinning you in a circle on the dance floor as the band continues to play.

He pulls you close again, this time with your back to his front and keeps hold of your hand, lacing his fingers with yours.

“Are you having fun yet?” he asks, lips brushing the shell of your ear.

“I’m dancing with you, aren’t I?” you deflect, and he chuckles knowingly.

Seokjin resumes his gentle singing, swaying with you as other guests begin to dance and waiters clear the finished entrees so they could prepare for dessert. As the song finally ends, you walk back to your seat, sitting gingerly to combat the pooling between your thighs from the friction dancing must have caused. Rubbing up against someone is just a part of dancing. What else could explain the slight bulge you felt nestled between your cheeks as you swayed in Seokjin’s arms?

The small crystal bowls of strawberry gelato are a nice distraction to cool down the heat you feel around your throat and cheeks, but watching the way that Seokjin’s lips wrap around the metal spoon to gently suck at the ice cream, smoothing down the scoop of pink dessert sitting on it, well, it doesn’t help as much as one would hope.

When you’ve both finished and the boat begins to dock back into the wharf, Seokjin comes to your side, offering you a hand to help you stand. You grasp it, but as you stand, the ferry lurches on the water, and you stumble into his chest. The motion causes him to fall backwards taking you with him as he attempts to protect you on the fall.

As the boat settles, you look up, seeing that you’ve landed side-saddle style on Seokjin’s lap, his legs bent to the side opposite of where yours are. Your hands clutch onto his shoulders still, your faces much closer than you’ve ever found them to be.

“Are you okay?” he asks, arms tightening from where they’re wrapped around your waist.

“Mmhmm,” you nod, the act bringing your lips closer to his with every upward movement.

“You sure, Kicks?” he breathes out even quieter, face inching ever so closer.

“Never better,” you answer, a rush of air caressing his lips, so close you feel the blowback of it, and an urge like never before comes over you to just lean in and taste the strawberry off his lips.

And just as his lips begin to touch yours, a flurry of activity from the ship's stewards pulls you apart as they check on your wellbeing. They help you climb off of Seokjin’s lap, apologizing profusely for the boat’s severe rocking and offering coupons on drinks and food and a free trip to save from receiving a bad review. You let Seokjin negotiate with the workers, focusing solely on your breathing. You do this as you leave, as Seokjin drives you home, and as you stand in the steaming shower attempting to scrub yourself of his touch, of the feelings they elicit from you, and what it might mean.

But there’s nothing that you can do to stop the images that infiltrate your thoughts as you dream of a satin dress falling to the floor, strawberry lips that cover every inch of your skin, and your high-heel-clad feet resting on his shoulders.

Work the next day is weird to say the least, as you expected to be bombarded with Seokjin smirking and strutting around the office, but when you arrive, he’s nowhere to be seen. In order to keep your mind free of all of the newly budding feelings, you throw yourself into your work, following up on the financial reports for the week so far to track the flow of money within the company and see if the different measures you’ve put into place have made a difference in the end-of-fiscal-year outcome and if the company is in the black once more.

The day seems to go by fast, with Seokjin never appearing in the finance department at all, and no encounters with him when you left to grab food with NaBi, Khaity, Khaity’s best friend Leah, and Hana. You expected to see him round the corner and enter your office at least once you were back from lunch, but he doesn’t appear, and instead of feeling relief at avoiding what you feel will be an awkward encounter, you feel nervous and worried about where he’s at.

After spinning aimlessly in your desk chair, having read the same line in the report seven times, you reach for your phone, finger hovering over his name. Would an email be more appropriate? It was working hours and you’ve never really called him outside of work like this before. You decide to call anyway, brain already coming up with a way to write it off as part of the challenge much like he did the whip cream kiss, when he answers.

“Hello?” he answers, a little breathless, and you pause, confused at the sounds you hear in the background. “Kicks?”

You’re about to answer when you hear a feminine voice from the background, asking who Kicks is.

“Give me a moment,” you hear him say, followed by the background sounds fading a bit as he steps away from wherever he’s located. He says your name, but you’re still stuck on what you’ve heard. “Baby girl?” he tries, and it works, breaking you from your green-eyed stupor.

“I’m here,” you respond, voice lowered as you try and navigate the feeling in your chest.

“Is something wrong? You’re worrying me.”

“No, nothing’s wrong, I just haven’t seen you at work today—”

“Oh, I had a dentist appointment this morning, but Namjoon sent me to meet with some fiduciary specialists and can you believe they don’t have elevators in their building? I had to walk four flights of stairs and I was so worried something was wrong and I was going to have to run back down those four flights to get to you—”

Your peals of laughter halt his rambling, and he stays quiet as you taper off into light giggles.

“No, everything is fine, sorry to interrupt your meeting.”

“No, I forgot to put it into the calendar so you would know, I’m sorry if I worried you. This woman who looks old enough to be my grandma is glaring at me though, so let me finish this meeting and then I’ll fill you in on what I learned tomorrow.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m coming now—okay, babe, be good, bye!”

The phone clicks off and you set it down, utterly confused at the ease with which he called you a pet name; it wasn’t done teasingly, but more like a slip, as if he always referred to you as such and was comfortable with doing so. But even more pressing is the way you feel, no longer anxious at Seojin’s unknown whereabouts, no longer jealous of him being around another woman sounding suspiciously out of breath, and tummy all aflutter at him calling you babe.

📈📈📈📈📈

“Friday, fighting!” NaBi calls out as you both head towards the entrance; her weekly Friday morning greeting makes you wave at her.

“I hope you have a great day, NaBi!” you say as you both make your way towards the elevator. You expect to see NaBi press the button to Namjoon’s floor, since she is essentially his personal assistant and secretary, but instead she chooses to go to a different floor, IT.

“Same to you, I’m sure it will be a great Friday. Any more horrid meetings?” she asks, privy to the situation thanks to her role within the company.

“No, thank god. We’re back to our weekly Tuesday meetings, and luckily, since they know Jin and I are working on the finances, they’ve left me alone for most of them.”

“That’s good, I hope Jin isn’t working you to the bone,” NaBi quips, and you have to stop yourself from sharing your latest thoughts and feelings.

“No, no, everything is good there, he’s actually been really attentive and helpful with trying to fix all of the wanton spending, so hopefully there’s no more vile meetings with the crusty old board members.”

As the doors slide open to the IT department, NaBi steps out, a large smile on her face as she looks towards a specific open door.

“When are you going to tell him how you feel?” you ask pointedly, nodding towards a certain muscle bunny’s office before the elevator has a chance to close.

“When you wear sneakers to work!” she laughs out, waving you off.

“Never!”

📈📈📈📈📈

The weekend seems to go by quickly because you’re still working remotely on financial reports in your pajamas, so despite the turmoil you feel about everything, it gets set to the back burner. You remember late on Sunday that it’s once again your turn to plan the date for the following day, and so while you may not wear sneakers ever to the office or even tandem bike riding in winter, you will rock the heck out of the blue, red and tan bowling shoes when your competitive side strikes. And after such a romantic, sexually charged date, you want to try and put some space between you and Seokjin once again.

Your pep talk to yourself on the way to work Monday morning consists of you reminding yourself that this isn’t real.

“Seokjin’s unserious, you know he’s not capable of real emotions.” Your face looks back at you from the reflection in the window on the bus. “The date meant nothing. He’s just playing with you because he can. He wants you to let your guard down and forget the true game is afoot.” The man behind you on the bus looks at you as if you’ve lost your mind talking to yourself and you pretend you’re talking to someone on the phone. “You are in this to prove to Seokjin that dating at work is risky because people always find out, and thus win a pair of heels. Nothing more.”

But if what you told yourself this morning is the case, why do you want to sit and watch Seokjin run his fingers through his hair as he combs it out of his face? Why do you want to stare into his coffee-colored eyes as he talks to you about different techniques for bowling? You could care less about bowling skills, but watching the words come from between his pink pillow lips makes it mesmerizing.

“Do you want bumpers?” he asks as he finishes lacing his shoes.

You shoot him a glare before answering, “No, I do not need bumpers, I’m decent at bowling, thank you very much.”

You aren’t lying either, you have pretty good hand eye coordination, but it has been several years since you’ve last gone bowling. You can typically score in the range of seventies to the hundreds, not a gutterball queen like he assumes. You hope to dazzle him with your abilities.

“Okay, I think I’m going to use the 12-pound ball, what size do you need? A 7 or 8-pound?”

“An 8-pound please! I sometimes use a 7 or a 9-pound when I need speed or to slow down for precision, but I’ll start with the 8 for now.” You stand and stretch, missing Seokjin’s eyes rove your figure.

“Got it boss, I’ll deliver you an 8-pounder.” Jin chuckles to himself as he grabs the two large spheres from the rack.

“Why does it sound like you’re planning to give me a newborn?”

“My mother and father would be happy to have a grandchild, now that I think about it,” Seokjin winks as he places the bowling balls into the ball return.

“Kim Seokjin, sometimes I really just want to bang yo—”

“Me against the wall outside in the alleyway? I won’t lie, that would be a good way to get my parents started on a grandchild.”

“Ugh! Please just bowl, it’s your turn.” You sit down and cross your arms, irritated with his quips. He’s the most unserious person you have ever met, and yet he still manages to push the boundaries of unserious levels daily.

Despite this, you are enjoying yourself as date four progresses, with game one ending with you beating Seokjin, and game two causing a tie to declare who is the best at bowling. Game three starts off the same, but halfway through, now pleasantly pliant with several soju shots, you both are giggling a lot more, being playful with trick shots.

“Okay, okay, that was surprisingly accurate,” you laugh as Seokjin rights himself from where he had bent over to throw the bowling ball between his legs. You step up with your bowling ball, poised to be dramatic like you’ve seen people do on TV.

“Always the look of surprise from you, I am actually quite talented at many things, especially when it comes to using my hands.” His eyebrows wiggle suggestively, but with his face flushed red from being upside down and from alcohol, it is more comical than sexy.

The burst of laughter that follows throws you off balance. One second, you are gearing up to do a ‘professional’ throw, left hand bracing the ball you have held in your right, three fingers balancing the weight, but when your hand swings back, he says his lewd saying and instead of releasing the ball when your arm pendulums forward, you keep hold of it. The weight of the ball still attached to your fingers propels you forward and you lose your footing on the overly slick flooring of the lane.

“Oh fuck!” You can’t help the curse escaping your mouth as you try your best to maintain your footing, but your ankle rolls as your body topples onto the resin-coated wood floor. You cry out from the twinge it causes, a shooting pain traveling along the side of your leg.

Seokjin laughs, loud squeaks that resemble windshield wipers that have seen better days, and while you are nearly in tears from the stinging ache, you start to laugh too as you hold your ankle slightly above the ground.

“Jin, stop laughing, it hurts!” you giggle through the tears, and the bouncing from the laughter jostles your ankle and you let out a whimper. He’s next to you instantly, still chuckling as he tries to soothe you.

“I’m sorry, but that was the funniest thing I’ve seen all week,” he wipes away a tear and then touches your leg gingerly. “Does it hurt here?”

You nod. “Yes, it’s similar to shin splints, but on the side.”

“Can you stand?” Seokjin offers his hands to you and you pull yourself up onto one leg, too afraid to put any weight on the hurt ankle. Your bowling ball lay forgotten as you hobble to the nearest seat. “I meant like can you put weight on it, but it appears you can’t…We only had three frames left anyways, let’s call it a night for bowling.” He looks at you with sympathy. “Let me take you to the hospital.”

“No, I promise, it’ll be fine, just some ice and I’ll prop it up on a few pillows.”

Seokjin puts away the bowling balls and cleans up a little while you slowly loosen the laces. You transition one boot back on, and he comes back over to you in time to help gently remove the other bowling shoe off your foot.

“Let me return our shoes and then I’ll help you to the car.”

You stretch as far as you can reach to gather your purse and test the mobility of your ankle, hoping to avoid being carried bridal style out. It still hurts and looks a little swollen, but you’ve done this a few times as an adolescent so you already know how to treat it. Seokjin squats down in front of you, giving you his back so that you can climb on and he can koala-carry you out of the building.

Hesitantly you wrap your arms around his neck, realizing that this position is much worse than if he had chosen the bridal style. Now you know exactly how well he fits between your thighs, how firmly his hands wrap under your thighs. There’s no way to distance yourself from him as you physically have to rely on him to transport you to the car, your breasts pressing into his back.

Surprisingly, Seokjin doesn’t make any jokes as he carts you out, just asks after your pain and comfort levels. Once he’s parked outside of your building, he helps you to your door. You draw the line there though, not letting him come in.

“We have work tomorrow, I’m just going to take some painkillers, take a quick shower, grab some ice and pillows, then sleep. Promise, I won’t do anything strenuous.”

“Fine. On one condition though. I’m picking you up to take you to work the rest of the week until it heals.” Seokjin looks at you with eyes that showcase his finality, and you agree so you can escape him.

“I’ll meet you downstairs at 7:30 sharp,” you acquiesce, “and Seokjin…thank you.”

“Anything for you, I told you, as your boyfriend these two weeks, I’ll be the best boyfriend—as long as you let me.”

Before you can protest, he leans down and kisses your forehead gently, and he disappears from sight before you’ve moved to shut the door.

Seokjin’s POV

Watching as you walk gingerly into the Tuesday morning meeting, Seokjin shakes his head at you remembering your refusal this morning to change into flats or sneakers, so Seokjin only agrees to allow you to continue to work if you sport an ankle wrap under your heeled boot. He stops at Daiso before parking, but because of the time, he lets you out with a promise to put it on once you get to your office.

“Why are you limping so badly? The bandage should be giving you more support than that, is it on correctly?” Seokjin asks as you walk to your seat next to him. He stands to pull out the wheely chair for you, one hand on your back to guide you into the seat and the other holding your hand as you lower yourself to get comfortable.

“I haven’t put it on yet,” you reply, avoiding eye contact. He returns to his chair sending you a searing stare full of judgment.

“Kicks, the longer it takes your ankle to heal, the longer I can’t enjoy seeing you in heels. You know I love how you look in heels.” His hand grazes along the top of your thigh, but you clamp a hand on top of his to stop the movement.

“I knew you had an ulterior motive!”

He chuckles, but it fades away as you seem to take advantage of the situation and thread your fingers through his. He fully expects that after ten seconds you’ll pull away and go back to taking notes on what the CEO says as he talks to the group. Except that you don’t, instead settling into the meeting, holding hands with Seokjin for far longer than necessary, not that he’s complaining.

Once the meeting adjourns, you disappear back to your office faster than Seokjin thought possible with an injured ankle, but he takes advantage of the time to shoot an email to Namjoon and Yoongi before going to gather some items. It’s not long before he appears in your doorway.

“Come with me, and bring your wrap,” he demands, though his tone is not harsh. He can’t be mad at you, not when you’ve provided him with the perfect opportunity.

With a sigh, you hobble over to the door and follow as he leads you around a few corners until you’re alone in one of the many break rooms in the building. This one in particular is similar to the library where the holiday party was held, but smaller, with a conference table in the middle of the sun-filled room.

Seokjin leads you to the table, and preemptively picks you up by your underarms to place you on the table before you can resist. He makes sure to be gentle as he lifts your leg to the table, undoing your boot so he can check your ankle out. You’re wearing loose slacks today, which makes it easier for him to access your sprain. Delicately, he smoothes the pant leg up your leg, his hand warming as it skates across your skin.

He swears he hears an intake of breath from the touch, a reflection of the sparks he’s feeling, but instead of calling attention to it, afraid of scaring you off, he reaches behind you, retrieving the bag of ice wrapped in paper towels. Settling onto the tabletop, he puts your foot in his lap.

“This might be a little cool, but we need to treat the swelling.”

The moment feels oddly intimate, and it’s Seokjin’s turn now to duck his head and avoid eye contact. He adjusts the ice pack onto your ankle, one hand cupping your heel as the other keeps the pack in place on top of your foot. Your foot struggles a little at the frosty feeling, and Seokjin has to maintain his breathing as you unknowingly wiggle atop his crotch.

“Sorry,” you mumble, settling your hands behind you on the table as you get comfortable.

“It’s expected,” he returns, and the smile you give him only adds to the hope blossoming in his chest.

The next twenty minutes are spent talking about everything and nothing, and the last ten he spends tickling the bottom of your foot as he helps slide the bandage onto your ankle, all so he can hear your laugh and have your hands on him as you try to get him to leave your foot alone.

“I don’t want to kick you in the face, but if you touch the bottom of my foot again, I can’t say I—Jin!” you squeal, wriggling backwards in an attempt to escape, but he just follows you, his body covering yours as you lean back breathlessly on the table.

“Yes?” His smile is teasing as his arm extends to protect the back of your head as he presses closer to you.

“Please, I can’t take it! I’m too ticklish!”

“But that’s exactly why I can’t stop, Kicks. You’re too cute when you’re flustered, under me like this.”

He sees the exact moment that you notice the precarious position he’s put you in, with Seokjin leaning between your knees, chest to chest as he cradles your head. He didn’t know that he would love the feel of your body under him this much, almost as much as when you were on his lap on the boat. He can smell one of the fragrances you carry, whether it be your shampoo, a perfume, or just a natural scent, he already knows if he can’t make this thing with you real, he’s going to miss it.

“Jin,” he watches you bring your hands to his chest, expecting you to push him away, but to his surprise—and probably your own he suspects—you don’t. He stares at you, drinking in all of the things he’s grown to love about your features over time: the way your eyebrows furrow in thought, lips slightly parted as breaths escape them, and gorgeous eyes wide in wonder as you look back at him.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?”

This close up, he watches as your face changes slightly, lips closing to a shy smile, cheek more prominent and your eyes glittering at the compliment. If you plan to ask him later about the kiss, he’ll tell you it was him if it keeps you from getting scared off, but he sees you move first, clear as day in the reflecting sun. You lift your head out of his hand where it’s cradled, pressing your lips to his and he lets out a tiny groan to rival the throaty moan you release as his tongue seeks entry into your mouth.

He’s both happy and sad at the position he has you in, because while it allows him to be here like this, kissing you, it also doesn’t allow for much more and is becoming quite uncomfortable as he attempts to keep his weight from crushing you. His tongue plays with yours for a few more moments before he tapers off, slowing the progression of the kiss to playful pecks.

Once Seokjin is satisfied that you are giggly and pliant, he clambers off of you, reaching both hands out to help pull you back into a seated position on the table.

“So,” he starts, wanting to test and see how he’s doing in terms of winning you over, “am I the best short-term boyfriend you’ve ever had?” He doesn’t notice the way your eyes dim slightly hearing the phrase ‘short-term’, as he’s busying himself with adjusting the ankle bandage before helping you put back on your boot.

Jin is excited to hear you softly reply, “Yes, Jin, you are.”

If he’s a little more aware, maybe he’d be able to pick up on more than just your words, and realize a lot more about how you’re feeling concerning the situation you both are in.

📈📈📈📈📈

Reader POV

It’s killing you to not be able to talk to your work friends about what’s going on. Seeing as you missed out on lunch yesterday due to your shenanigans with Seokjin, the girls ask a few questions.

“I got our favorite shrimp tempura sushi to split with you, but I ended up eating it all myself,” Leah pouts at you as you join them today.

A lie easily rolls off your tongue. “Oh, last minute reports were emailed to me, with the deadline coming up thanks to the holidays, they’re running them daily now to look for any sign up upward movement on the graphs.”

They buy it, easily shutting down any romance rumors they could have generated. You realize that you could have told some of the truth, that Seokjin was babying you because you sprained your ankle, and maybe help you win the shoes that started this insanity. Instead, with that little fib, it appears you’ve worked against your best interest, planting no seeds to make the others think something’s going on romantically between you and Seokjin.

You’ve been so busy with work and secretly dating, you forgot that your girls would be the best chance you have to prove that you are right and Seokjin is wrong.

Seriously, I could have told most of the truth, and that would have been enough to have the girls ask why Seokjin was taking care of me. I would deny anything they accused, because I can’t break my own rules, but planting that seed would allow them to at least wonder. They might then, as women do, embark on a hunt for the truth. Then when it came time at the party to ask if anyone had found out, they would be the ones to stand up and say yes! But I’m a little too good at this, you say, forehead wrinkled in disdain at yourself, exactly what Seokjin must be banking on to win this thing.

“Stop frowning, you’ll get wrinkles and then you’ll be single forever!” Hana jokes, and you laugh listlessly.

Maybe it’s time you call someone you can talk to about everything going on.

📈📈📈📈📈

“Grandma, you don’t understand, he’s unserious on his best days, insufferable on his worst, and…” you pause, adjusting your leg where you have it propped up on a small chair you stole from an empty office. You plan to leave in a few minutes so you can go home and get ready for your date with Seokjin, but wanted to rest your ankle briefly before walking to the bus stop. It doesn’t hurt as much now, but you want to make sure it heals up well to avoid any weakening later.

She hums knowingly in your ear. “Let me guess, he’s handsome, rich, and doesn’t appreciate his status in life.”

“Yes! Exactly, he lives with an all play and no work attitude—”

“And you want him to be your boyfriend,” she tacks on, effectively shutting you down.

“Grandma!”

“What? You called me for some real talk, right?”

You whine, and she laughs, her musical giggle making you miss her.

“Sweetie, listen. I’ve known you your whole life, so I know you pretty well. You like things that are orderly and neat, that fit well into your life. But that’s not much of a fun life. And it’s not what we hoped for you when we sent you off to Seoul.” You hear her sigh, and remain quiet, knowing she’s about to impart something that will stay with you. “It sounds like this Jin guy is exactly the kind of man you need in your life. He’s realized one of the best things about life that most of us don’t realize until it’s too late: Life is not so serious that we need to live a life with regrets. Yes, he has moments where maybe he should behave with a little more…sincerity, but overall, it sounds like you do that enough between the two of you.”

You nod, biting your lip as you take in her words. “Maybe.”

“You’ve been working so hard on your schooling and then your career, and you’ve made it so far! Overcome every academic and career goal thrown at you. But that’s only part of who you are. I think it’s nice that this young man is so attuned to you, that he’s challenging you in areas like love and life.”

“Who said anything about love? We’ve only been seeing each other for a week and a half!”

“No one said you were in love, sweetie, but your defensiveness means you like him a little more than you thought.”

You tuck your phone between your ear and your shoulder, logging into your desktop so you can check some emails while you chat. Multi-tasking always helps you when you need to open up—focusing on a menial task helps cover that feeling in your chest when you discuss said feelings.

“I mean, if I’m honest with myself, yes. He’s surprised me in ways I wasn’t expecting. And I know that two people can kiss when dating, but, I don’t know…is he kissing me because he’s taking advantage of whatever this is, or is he kissing me because he likes me and wants it to be more? I’m confused about what happens next, you know?”

“My smart girl, have you thought about asking him?”

“I can’t just ask him! He’s my boss!” You wish she understood that times are not the same as when she was young.

“Yes, your boss who you are already dating!”

“But not for real! Not after Saturday!”

“What’s happening Saturday?” she questions, and you stall, not wanting to hear what she’s going to say when you tell her the full truth.

“Well, we’ve been going on dates because…we made a bet. To see if workplace romances can be kept secret or not. It started last week and we have set rules so neither of us cheats, and this Saturday is the CEO’s holiday party, which Jin invited me to as his date, and we will see if any of our work friends noticed we were dating or not.”

She laughs heartily, and you hate that she seems so wise about this when you feel so clueless.

“Oh, I needed that laugh. You’re telling me that your boss—a hot, rich executive—made a bet with you to see if workplace romances can work, he’s kissed you a few times and takes you out on dates, drives you to work now that you’ve sprained your ankle, asked you to be his date to another exec’s party, and you’re still confused about where the two of you stand?”

Hearing her put it into this perspective bolsters your confidence a bit. It isn’t like you haven’t already thought about this same formula, but your grandma is missing one term from this equation, and it's your feelings. Your feelings are clouding your ability to act on this information. You tell her just as much.

“I’m just scared. I think that the risk of rejection is overpowering everything for me right now.”

“I know that risk is scary, you think I wasn’t scared when you moved away to attend school? But the reward? Seeing you excel in your career has been so lovely to witness. I’m so proud of you. I just want you to have someone to take care of you when I’m not here anymore.”

You want to fight her on this, but you don’t want to discount her emotions. “I know, and while I’d be fine having you take care of me forever, I think it would only be fair to let you pass the heavy lifting onto someone else.”

“And by the sounds of it, Jin has a nice set of shoulders for that.”

You’re about to answer her when a knock at your door startles you.

“Hold on, Grandma,” you say before raising your voice. “Come in!”

The topic of conversation steps into your office, shutting the door behind him. “Hey, I’m so sorry to do this, but we have to push our date tonight to tomorrow.”

“Oh? Is everything okay?” you question, taking in the way his face is pinched, grumpy.

“Yeah, I mean, no one’s dying or anything, but my dad just sent me an email, summoning me to meet with him about a potential investor.”

“Wouldn’t this typically be Soobin’s job?” you point out. Choi Soobin, the investor relations director for JinHit, typically would meet to discuss potential investors first before looping Seokjin in as CEO.

“Yes, but you know my father…”

“I’m sorry, bab—um, b-but, it’s okay, we can move it to Thursday.” You stumble over the words, trying to cover up the slip of tongue.

“You’re amazing, you know that? I’m so sorry to do this.”

“No, I get it. You want to prove to your father you got this, and rightfully so. You’ve done amazing helping me with everything, even though you have so much on your plate already.”

“You know good and well that you, Soobin, and the others take on a lot of the responsibilities, I just oversee it. It’s been nice to actually get my hands dirty with work, use my degree.” Seokjin’s phone chimes. After a roll of his eyes, he apologizes again. “Duty calls. I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.” With that last remark and a wink, he leaves your office. You can hear laughter coming from your phone, forgotten in your hand. Bringing your grandma back to your ear, you speak before she can.

“Don’t even start, Grandma. I already know what you’re going to say.” You click on the email invite that Seokjin sent you about the holiday party at Namjoon’s, eyes re-reading the info. “So just help me think of a good present to get him for the party Saturday.”

📈📈📈📈📈

Seokjin’s POV

Seokjin can’t help but to grin as he walks back to his office. You almost slipped up and called him babe. Or baby. Either way, he feels like he’s on cloud nine, and tomorrow will be the perfect moment to tell you just how he feels. He hates that he showed up less than a half hour before you get off to cancel, but he would rather give you the respect of doing it in person than over text.

He scans the subject of the email he received while in your office, seeing it’s a reply to the email he sent yesterday, from Namjoon. Hustling back to his CFO office, he logs in and clicks through the various apps until the email pops up.

Seokjin, Thank you for keeping me up to date with the financial reports, the numbers seem to be trending back up thanks to the mitigating efforts you and your department have done. Make sure to tell your better half thank you, since I know it was really all her. Also, your signature is a little…informal for work…I would love to know who is on the receiving end of the “Your Handsome Lover, Jin-Oppa” so I can congratulate her for tying you down. I would say bring her to the party, but I know you are already planning to bring YN, and it would be rude to swap them out last minute. Kim Namjoon, MA, BSBA CEO of JinHit Conglomerate

“Ah fuck.” Jin smacks his head, realizing his mistake. This is exactly the kind of fuck up you said couples dating at work would make, but luckily, his best friend is clueless to the fact that the same person Seokjin plans to bring to the party is the same person who will hopefully end up taking him off the market. Will this lead Seokjin to lose on Saturday? He doesn’t care about losing the bet and having to buy the shoes—he can afford to buy you the same shoes every day for the rest of your life.

No, what Seokjin is most worried about is that if he loses on Saturday, it will be the data that you need, the proof that will make you decide that you can’t be with Seokjin after this is all said and done. And he can’t have that.

He begins typing out a reply, mostly to say that he agrees with Namjoon, that his email was informal and he was sorry for not paying attention, oh and of course he would make sure to introduce Namjoon to the woman one day, hopefully soon, and that yes, it would be quite rude to swap out dates last minute.

It’s an hour later after he’s finished typing out this reply that he leaves work to cross town to meet with his father. Seokjin’s feeling a little sour about the fact that he had to cancel his plans with you and meet with his dad, especially since it’s not his job to do this part of the investment process, but thanks to Do Not Disturb while driving, he misses the message his father sends.

Jin (5:15 PM): I’m leaving work now, I should be there in time for the meeting at 6:30. 아버지 (Father) (5:45 PM): The investors can’t make it today, which is lucky since you aren’t taking rush hour traffic into account. I will let you know when it has been rescheduled, and I will make sure you will be on time. Jin (6:28 PM): [Request Pay from Kim Namjung ₩25,000 for gas]

Reader POV

By Thursday, your ankle is finally feeling back to normal but you don’t want to push it too much, so you put on your lowest heels. You figure this would be perfect with your cinch-waisted dress, held shut by the buttons running down the middle. Despite the chill as you head downstairs to wait for Seokjin, you are glad with your choice thanks to the appreciative look Seokjin gives your figure. His right hand rests along your thigh as he drives you to work, talking about the date he’s planned for the two of you tonight.

“I know it’s a little chilly out, so I figured we could go check out Seoul Sky tonight, and then eat afterwards. What do you think?”

“Wow, how am I supposed to top that? I’ve never been to the observatory, but it sounds amazing.”

“What kind of food do you want to eat? You seem to like most foods, based on what you eat for lunch, but what’s your favorite?”

You ponder his question for a bit, eyes roving around the car as you gather your thoughts. “Mmm…I guess my favorite is home cooking. I miss my grandma’s meals the most since I’ve been here.”

“Ahhh, home cooking always hits the spot. I used to cook a lot when I was younger. My father was always busy with work and my brother and I were left alone a lot. My mom scolded us once for bothering the staff too much for specific meals, so we decided to learn from them how to make the meals we enjoyed. In college, I would cook a lot for the fraternity and it became a hobby of mine. My brother actually is the head of Food Science for JinHit. He handles the cafeteria, catering for entertainment, as well as Nutrition for the idols employed.”

“Really? I’ve met him a few times to discuss finances for catering services and resources for nutrition programs! He’s really cool.”

“Don’t tell me my girlfriend secretly loves my brother and I have to duel him to the death for you.”

You burst into laughter, giggly peals filling the car as Seokjin just glances at you then looks back at the road. “No! He’s just cool and he feeds us, which is super important.”

“Okay,” Seokjin says as he pulls into his designated CFO parking spot, “so the way to your heart is through shoes and food, got it.”

You climb out of the car before he can come around and open the door for you. “And don’t you forget it,” you tease, walking away from him.

Your day goes well to start, with not too many taxing assignments with the weekend fast approaching. Tomorrow is the last day at work before the office is closed for a three day weekend. Christmas falls on Monday, and despite half of the company not celebrating religiously, it is a public holiday and enjoyed as a day off by all. With the work day coming to a close, you hear when the arrival of good news enters everyone’s inbox.

“Did you see?” Soobin sticks his head into your propped open doorway, a large smile covering his face from cheek to cheek.

“Not yet, but it sounds like it’s worth celebrating!”

“It is!” His happiness is contagious. “Our gracious CEO gave us off until the 2nd of January! Since it would be a short work week anyways, he wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the holiday with family, whether they live in Seoul or Busan.”

“That’s amazing!”

“I’m off to find Yeonjun in IT, we might catch the train home together.” Soobin ducks his fluffy head out of the entryway and disappears down the hall with a loud whoop! as others continue their cheering. You smile softly to yourself as you check the email; your last minute idea to have the office closed for the holiday would save the company more than it would lose during this time. The company would be able to save on day-to-day expenditures of running a company, work that typically does not happen because of the distraction of the holiday will continue to not be done, therefore the tradeoff between having the building open for work but no work getting done would balance out, and employee morale will be greater upon returning and resuming work in the new year.

It was an idea you had thanks to your talk with your grandma. When you pointed out that Seokjin was all play no work, and unserious, she had mentioned that you needed some of that in your life. Why wouldn’t the rest of the workers in a large conglomerate also need that? You knew you weren’t the only person with a Type A personality in this building, who worked too hard and barely rewarded themselves with a vacation or fun. So a little forced vacation will do wonders all around, without a loss in sight.

Stretching your arms above your head, you finish the last of your auditing and save your report before locking your computer. You’re excited to experience Seoul Sky tonight, and not just because it is your first time experiencing it, but because who you will be with is worth the trip to such crazy heights.

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Seokjin’s POV

“It’s incredible!” The view you are witnessing truly is, Seokjin can’t lie. It looks as if the city goes on forever, and the fiery rays cascade along the horizon in a beautiful show of combusting fragments of stardust.

“We made it just in time, and we will get to see the night sky too before we eat,” he says. “Let’s step a little closer, you’re missing some of the view.” He ushers you to step onto the glass floor, your low heels clicking weirdly on the thick glass.

“Oh, Seokjin, it’s exhilarating!”

“From here, you can see JinHit, it’s right there,” Seokjin leans into you, holding you tightly as if you might fall from so high up. He aligns your body so you have a better chance of seeing what he’s pointing to.

“I see it! I bet it’s gorgeous at night.”

“Mmm, yes, but maybe we should shut off the power to save money...”

You laugh at his joke, and he feels his heart flutter a little. You’ve changed towards him, and the view offers more than just all of the sights of Seoul—so many opportunities lay at the tip of his finger, still pointing at JinHit—the first one being you.

“Can you imagine how the air must be from up this high?”

He can’t bear to make a negative joke about the air quality in Seoul as he sees the way your irises seemingly reflect the setting sun, a small milky way of glittering solar systems he could get lost in.

“Yes, Kicks, I think it’s rather breathtaking...like you.”

You turn away from the sunset and he sees you catch his gaze trained in your direction, and it’s like he’s seeing you for the first time. The view of Seoul at sunset from almost 1,821 feet disappears around you. You’re the only thing he can see, and he only hopes that you feel the same, or at least you are starting to feel the same about him as he does for you.

📈📈📈📈📈

“When you told me about how you can cook, I didn’t know you meant that you would be cooking for me!” Sitting at the large island in Seokjin’s lofted penthouse apartment, you watch as he moves sveltely between the sink and the island stovetop, pans heated as he adds the ingredients he chopped and minced with you.

“Ah, well I wanted it to be a surprise.” He looks great in his slacks, button-down sleeves rolled up with an apron around his neck and waist so he doesn’t stain the baby blue fabric. It is quite the surprise, and you tell him so.

“Homemade Japchae sounds amazing right now, are you sure there isn’t anything else I can do to help?”

“No, Kicks, you already prepped the vegetables and now it’s just time for you to relax and enjoy. Look around if you want.” Seokjin sets aside the stir fried vegetables as he adds the protein option to the pan, seasoning and cooking it until browned. You decide to give yourself a small tour, not venturing too far or into any closed doors. The penthouse is modern, with a lot of black furniture, grey accent pieces, and white walls. The glass walls are two stories, spanning the height of the lofted area as well, situated above the kitchen. You take a few steps up the stairs until you can see through the clear banister into what appears to be Seokjin’s bedroom, before returning to your seat. You’re much more comfortable there than exploring dangerous areas alone.

The two of you continue to talk about your lives outside of work as he cooks; you share more about your family and where you lived before Seoul, and him about his fraternity days and hobbies. Once the glass noodles were cooked in the Japchae sauce, and the protein and vegetables re-added, you move to sit comfortably on his couch, eating as you watch a popular K Drama on his large flatscreen.

“I really enjoyed tonight, Jin.” You can’t describe in words how you feel, you just know you haven’t felt feelings like this towards Seokjin of this caliber before. Something has changed, but you don’t know whether it’s you or Seokjin, or both. He places his plate into the sink where you stand, washing dishes, then leans against the counter to watch you. “Since you did all of the heavy lifting, I’ll clean up.”

“You didn’t have to, you know. This is still a date.”

“Yes, but even in relationships, people go on dates and I’m sure that they still take turns with household chores and stuff.”

He hums in agreement, then disappears out of the kitchen. You finish washing, lay the dishes on the rack with the pans, and then turn around to make your way back to the living room. You find Seokjin lighting the last of the candles he’s placed around the room, a tray and two flutes of champagne on the low glass table near the dark colored couch.

“What’s all this?” you ask, voice low in astonishment and something else. The room is dim, but the candles provide enough light to see and the ambiance is much more romantic than anything you’ve previously shared with Seokjin.

You watch as Seokjin’s features flit through different emotions before answering you, and before you can question him more about it. “I, well a proper date should be more than just a home-cooked meal. I also have dessert for us, and wanted to celebrate a bit, too.”

“Celebrate?”

“Yes,” he pats the couch next to where he’s sat. “I saw the preliminary reports. I think we’re gonna clear it this fiscal year. All thanks to you.”

You cross the rest of the distance to sit next to him, still feeling timid in his home. You take the flute of bubbly gold with a shy smile, still not used to this treatment and praise.

“You worked hard too, Seokjin. We did it together.” Clinking your glasses together, the two of you down the Dom Perignon. As Seokjin sets down his glass, he reaches for one of the chocolate-covered strawberries set atop the tray.

“Try this, these are grown on my uncle's farm,” he shares, scooting closer to you on the couch so he can feed you the strawberry. You lean in, mouth watering at the aroma of the chocolate coating the fruit. With the first bite, an explosion of flavor erupts in your mouth, and you moan a little at how succulent it is. A trickle of the red juice rolls from the corner of your lip. Too busy savoring the flavor, Seokjin slowly swipes up your chin to gather the strawberry juice, bringing it to his lips to suck the flavor off.

You watch as his tongue pushes through the part in his lips, the tip rolling backwards across his bottom lip as he brings his teeth to bite the plump, pink skin. The look in his eyes matches the candle flames and you’re positive yours reflect the same. Placing your hand onto his shoulder, you guide him back onto the couch so he can sit properly as you swing your leg over his thighs. Planted on his lap, it’s nothing to lean in, your mouth seeking him in a slow kiss, wet sounds filling the quiet as you press yourself into him harder, hips grinding down onto the tent pressing into your core.

“Fuck,” Seokjin hisses when your mouth moves to his neck, biting gently to avoid leaving marks in visible spots. His hands grasp your ass, pulling you into him with a rocking rhythm with more force. His lips search to bring yours back to his, hands pulling at your dress. Once his hands breach the hem, you feel the warmth of his skin on your thighs, fingertips trailing up to the waistband of your panties.

He pulls back from the kiss, forehead resting against yours as you both try and catch your breath. “Do you want this?” he asks, fingers tugging gently at the lace.

“Yes,” you breathe out, not waiting for more words as you kiss him again, raising your hips to allow him to pull your panties down your thighs. You raise each knee off the couch, helping him until your bare skin meets his slacks. His fingers dip to your center, and you’re pleased at the sound he makes when he feels just how wet you are. You stay up on your knees as he explores, the subtle teasing around your clit only heightening the feeling you crave.

When he presses two fingers into you, you keen, face pressing into his neck as his fingers scissor and glide, thumb pressing into your clit with each plunge. You rock your hips, seeking more friction and he gives in, using his palm as he sinks deeper inside of you, allowing you to take control of your pleasure.

“You feel so tight, but you’re so wet,” he marvels after a particularly hard shudder, and you sit back, knees weak as he pulls his fingers free.

“Want you to feel me properly,” you pout as his tongue licks up the side of his finger before he sucks them both into his mouth. You clench around nothing, the action making you want him more. You finger the buttons on your dress, popping each open in secession. It’s your turn to reach for the waistband of his pants, eyes on his as you seek his consent. “Do you want this?”

“More than you know, baby.” You smile to yourself as you focus on the button and zipper on his slacks until his hands join yours to grip the edge of both his briefs and pants until he has them past his knees, hardened cock bouncy as it awaits you to take your rightful seat upon it. You gasp as your eyes take in the size of it being bigger than you expected; it explains the cockiness he exhibits in his day to day.

Spitting into your hand, you grip his member, thumb trailing down the pearlescent stickiness from the head. He breathes out a huff, the steely silk growing more solid with each stroke.

“Don’t tease me, Kicks, I’ve waited a long time for this.”

Once again you rise onto your knees, inching closer to him with hands on his broad shoulders for balance. You can feel Seokjin lining up the head to your core, running it across your pussy several times to coat it with your essence. Dropping onto his thick length, he fills you to the point of stretching you out, toes curling from the press into your most sensitive parts. You don’t wait, enjoying the way that the stretch burns as it turns to pleasure, and you let loose in a way you haven’t before.

It’s frenetic, the way each of your hands travel along each other's bodies, lips seeking and sucking into each other's skin, opening clothing for more points of contact, to bring you closer to each other than you’ve ever been. It doesn’t take long, riding him as you are, for the coil to build and snap inside you, crying out as you throw your head back.

“That’s it, baby, let me feel you,” Seokjin coaches you through your climax, holding you as you shake in his arms. You mewl as he shifts, thighs lifting you both as he stands, cock still sheathed inside of you. He steps out of his discarded clothing and walks you to the stairs that lead to his loft. He’s impatient, pausing every few steps to press you into the wall and fuck himself up into you until he makes it to the landing of his bedroom.

Getting you to the bed, he places you on your back at the edge, hands trailing up along your legs until he grips your ankles. Bringing them together in front of him, he rests your calves onto his shoulder before slow-grinding himself into you, your swollen lips suctioning him deeper as they mold to fit around him.

“Jin, fuck, you feel so good,” your voice a high pitch as you squirm.

“Yeah, baby?” He’s breathless, hips picking up speed as you clench around him, the lewd sounds of your pussy squelching show just how good he feels. He spreads your legs then, picking you up and placing you farther on the bed so he can join you, this time sans shirts.

With a grunt, he pushes deep as his hands reach around and skillfully unhooks your bra. He slows his hip rolls as his lips toy with a freed nipple, tongue laving until it’s pert and he moves to the other to give the same treatment. He takes a hand, trailing it down the center of your body. His thumb presses into your clit, and he speeds up, pleading, “Cum with me, you can give me another one.”

You give him what he wants, his voice raspy with restraint is the thing that topples you over the edge, and his restraint is let go moments later when you squeeze him impossibly tight. The deep sounds that he lets out are loud, curses mingled with your name, not your nickname, but your real name, tumble from his lips as he releases into you, short pumps of his cock until he’s empty. He collapses his weight onto you, but it’s comforting, not crushing. You feel his arms wrap around you as he rolls onto his back, pulling you with him to cuddle your body into his chest.

“I’ll clean us up in a minute, wanna enjoy this feeling.”

Seokjin closes his eyes, but you agree with him, you don’t want to move just yet, because the pleasure coursing through your veins feels like nothing you’ve ever felt before, and not just because of the sex—you’ve done that a few times. It’s because of the man whose arms you're in, but his light snores let you know it's too late in the night to tell him.

You wake long before your alarm, but less sticky than when you fell asleep, Seokjin keeping to his word. You feel his arm strewn over your middle, so you turn and take in his slumber-filled face. His hair flops onto the pillow, lips puckered slightly as quiet breaths escape him. Smiling at how peaceful he looks, you don’t want to leave just yet, not when the bed is so warm, and even in his sleep he wants to keep you close, but you have no clothes for work. You silently climb out of his bed, going to the bathroom to freshen up before getting dressed. You call for a KakaoTaxi, and once it arrives, you kiss Seokjin on the forehead before leaving.

Once at home, you take the time to shower and get dressed for work, thinking about what you can do for the last date tonight. You know you want it to be special, because after the amazing night spent in Seokjin’s arms, him between your legs and splitting your walls…you’ve come to realize something significant. You like him. You like Kim Seokjin and you don’t want to stop being with him once tomorrow comes.

Deciding to take a leap of faith, you channel your grandma’s advice and decide that tonight at dinner, you will confess your feelings to him. You’re pretty sure that he feels the same way, based on his words and actions last night when you both showed each other a whole new side. You send a text to Seokjin saying he doesn’t need to pick you up, that you’re heading to work early and you’ll see him later.

He sends a quick reply of Be safe, beautiful. Can’t wait. Which is more than you expected from him so early in the morning but makes you feel giddy, solidifying your assumption of how he feels about you.

Once in your office, you utilize the extra time to search for a place to take Seokjin that’s worthy of hopefully becoming the place where you and he can become a ‘we’, but out of the limited places you contact, there’s no reservations available. You don’t have the sway to pull strings the way Seokjin could, but asking him or your coworkers for help would break one of the rules of your agreement.

The sun shifts across your office, giving way to midday as you work with good old-fashioned paper, pen, and highlighters, but you haven’t seen him or his broad shoulders that you’re sure you left some marks on last night. Rolling your computer chair back from the desk, you lean back precariously as you take a much-needed deep stretch and vacate your seat. It’s a quick trip from the 48th to the 50th floor; you figure if Seokjin isn’t in his office near yours, he must be working in his C-Suite office upstairs. Unfortunately, when you peek your head into the room, the vast dark-oak desk is empty, his large Samsung monitor turned off when you venture farther in.

With a sigh, you leave the office, nearly walking headfirst into Kim Namjoon.

“Looking for Jin-hyung?” his low baritone questions. “He's at a meeting with his dad to discuss some financial stuff, he’s been emailing me all day asking to be rescued.”

“Oh, I wonder if he emailed me too. I’ve been reviewing printed reports all morning.”

“I made the mistake of answering him thinking he needed work-related info—nope! He just wanted to tell me about how he’s been craving the truffle pasta at Flavors.”

You laugh at this, unable to hold back the smile as you imagine how bored Seokjin must be to be emailing about food. You thank Namjoon and head back to your office, an idea of where to go now planted in your mind.

Everything is falling into place for tonight, and you send Seokjin an email before you leave at 5 PM, detailing the plan for your reservation at Flavors tonight at 7 PM. His response is full of excitement, shocked that you read his mind about his craving (thank you, Namjoon!), and that he’ll meet you there and you better not be late.

Closing down your computer for the long holiday weekend per IT’s email, you gather your belongings and head home to get ready.

📈📈📈📈📈

Seokjin’s POV

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Seokjin tries to hide his grin from his father.

“What are you smiling about?”

Seokjin takes a breath to keep from rolling his eyes and relaxes his face into a look of innocence. “Nothing,” he shrugs, mentally doing the math as he clambers into the car his father has chauffeuring them around. “Are we headed back to the office now? I have a few things I need to do tonight for Namjoon’s party tomorrow.” And a hot date waiting for me, he thinks.

“Not just yet, actually. I have one last meeting for us at Paradise City.”

Seokjin groans. “Father, it’s a holiday weekend, there’s nothing more we need to do today that we can’t do after Christmas weekend.”

“It won’t be long, Seokjin, we’re around the corner already. I swear your work ethic is piss-poor, sometimes I regret naming you my successor.”

It might not be a long trip from the hotel they just finished meeting at to Paradise City, but they were already over an hour away from where he should be meeting you in less than two. Irritated, Seokjin quietly tries to do the math for how long this meeting can be before he has to be on his way to you, but knowing his father, he worries about making it to you on time.

As the car pulls to the front of the main entrance, Seokjin decides to message you, just a warning that he will be late due to his father’s overbearing and controlling tendencies. He exits the car first, standing to the side to type a quick message as his father follows him onto the pavement.

“Put your phone away.”

When Seokjin ignores his demand, his father snatches his phone from his hands, pocketing the small device.

“Really, Father, you are being insufferable right now.”

“And you, son, are being rude.” Seokjin’s dad leaves him to head into the bustling hotel and casino, and with his phone held hostage, he has no choice but to follow him inside.

Once seated next to the thief at a four-top, Seokjin begs for his phone, but his father ignores him as he smiles at someone behind Seokjin’s head.

“Lee Jaeyong-ssi!”

“Kim Namjung-ssi!” The man bows to the elder Kim before sitting in the seat next to Seokjin. Seokjin gapes in horror at his dad as he realizes what his father has roped him into when the 19-year-old daughter of the country’s largest GDP contributor walks around the table to sit across from Seokjin.

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Reader POV

You’re prompt, body electrified as you give your name for the reservation and are led to a quaint, black-marbled table. The only downfall to the seating arrangement of the restaurant is that larger group tables line the walls with comfortable grey booth seating, while the tables for couples fill the middle walkway. Smoothing the little black dress with baby doll straps, you sit in the chair pulled out for you.

You take in the romantically lit room as the Maître d' pours you a glass of red wine, leaving the expensive bottle in a wine chiller on a small stand next to the table. Checking your phone, there’s no reply message from Seokjin of his estimated arrival time, but you don’t worry too much, thinking he’s probably parking his car or nearby enough. It’s only minutes past the hour, so you shirk off the cropped, fur-lined jacket from your shoulders and drape it over the back of your chair.

It’s fitting that the table is in the middle of the room, out in the open as if a reflection of where you want to take this relationship with Seokjin. You think you’re finally ready to admit to him what you realized last night and this morning.

7:17 PM. The Maître d' returns to ask if you would like to order. You tell him that you are still waiting for the other person to arrive, and give a little white lie that he’s just running late.

“What is the name of the other half of your party? I will make sure to bring him promptly when he arrives.”

“Oh, it’s Kim Seokjin,” you reply shyly. His eyes widen minutely at your unintentional name drop, and that coupled with murmurs from the guests seated nearby, leaves you feeling a heat rising up your neck. He excuses himself, saying he will be back to check on you once your date arrives.

7:47 PM. The looks of pity start to trickle into your view as you turn your head to look towards the door for the millionth time. The Maître d' has walked past to escort other patrons to tables, but he avoids coming over to you—you guess it’s because he doesn’t want to draw attention to the fact that you’re still alone, and he said he would be back only once Seokjin arrived. You appreciate his tactfulness, but you worry as you check your phone again for a message.

8:17 PM. Your phone is held to your face, dial tone ringing in your ear but you’ve lost count of how many times you’ve called him. All of your text messages have gone unread, and inside you simmer with feelings of shame and embarrassment. Your phone (along with others in the vicinity) chimed with a notification from the WeVerse App, reporting a major headline.

JinHit CFO Kim Seokjin Spotted with 19-year-old Samsung Heiress—And Their Fathers!

And in smaller font underneath: Marriage meeting? Should we expect wedding bells and a massive business union? The read more teases photos catching the quartet out at Paradise City.

A fool, you think, realizing Seokjin must’ve never planned to come. Paradise City is almost an hour and half by car at this time of night. I am a fool for even entertaining the thought of giving my heart to this man!

Standing from the chair, you don’t bother hiding your emotions on your face as you grab your jacket and toss the cloth napkin onto the table before fleeing to the front to hail a taxi, waiting in the cold as unique snowflakes begin to fall from the sky with fluttery movements, before melting away a few moments after making contact with earthly items.

📈📈📈📈📈

At home, you sit on the edge of your couch unclasping the delicate buckle on your Manolo Blahniks. Tonight’s fucked with your mind more than Seokjin has the entire time this deal was in place. What started as a way to win—a way to prove you were smarter than Seokjin, better at mitigating for the company, gain a pair of expensive shoes—is turning into a stock market crash of the worst proportions.

Your grandma’s words float through your head and in this moment, you’re hit with a sudden clarity that this was never about a pair of expensive shoes. It was about letting yourself take a chance to live a little and be happy for once—hopeful that happiness with another person was within your reach—the heel you clutch in your hand, having slipped it off of your foot, sails through the air, hitting the off-white wall of your apartment.

You wake, puffy-eyed and unexcited, thinking about how things will be weird tonight for the party at Namjoon’s place, because not only have you slept with Jin, he’s also shattered your heart into a million pieces. It’s not the first time the thought crosses your mind that he might have known he was going to be set up with a child (no offense to 19-year-olds, the age gap is ridiculous no matter how rich your daddy is) and chose to spend his last weeks of freedom stringing you along, choosing to finally sleep with you right before he was off the market.

You fell asleep easily, but your phone ringing repeatedly woke you up close to midnight. The screen was blinding, but you could see who was calling you and you decidedly ignored the call, silencing your phone. You were then unable to return to sleep until hints of sunlight peeked through the curtains, and the consequences of that are now reflecting in your mirror.

This is just Jin being Jin, your mind says, when has he ever been serious about anything? He’s just flirty, and wanted to get his rocks off before robbing the cradle in sickness or in health. This is nothing new and he was just having fun with you. Going through the motions of your skincare routine, the feelings of disappointment and hurt are there, lingering in your chest with each breath, but you’ve decided to be tough. Your brain doing what it does best, trying to rationalize everything that isn’t a fact, blaming the way your emotions temporarily made you dumb.

‘I should’ve known’ repeats like a mantra in your head no matter how you try to drown it out with music from your phone. You’ve always had an uncanny ability to be hopeful when you know you shouldn’t, because good things like this never work out. You just forgot that little fact, but last night is the perfect reminder.

The thoughts settling in help as you go through the motions: toner onto a cotton pad wiped along your face, moisturizer gently massaged into your skin. Once you’ve finished with your makeup, it’s as if you move on autopilot, your fingers deft as they put the final touches wrapping the gift for Seokjin you finalized after work yesterday. Your logical brain reminds you that this party is nothing more than coworkers hanging out, a chance to put the bet—and your fake relationship—to rest, and making sure to bring a gift like the invite said is your way to show Seokjin that he didn’t get to you. He might win the bet, he might’ve had you wallowing last night, but he won’t continue to win power over your emotions.

You reread the last message he sent before sending him a text as you slip into the persona needed to survive tonight.

Jin (2:04 AM) - Please, baby, just…let me know you’re okay. I can explain everything. You (1:14 PM) - I’m getting ready to go to the party, what time will you be here?

Your phone lights up as an incoming call flashes across your screen, but you ignore it, letting your ringtone play until he hangs up.

Jin (1:15 PM) - Can I come now? You (1:20 PM) - I’m not ready yet and have some things to do beforehand, so if you can just let me know what time to expect you, I can make sure I’m ready when you get here.

You set your phone down, watching the bubbles pop up and disappear, indicating that he’s typing, but it still takes him ten minutes to send five words.

Jin (1:30 PM) - I’ll be there at 7:30.

📈📈📈📈📈

The drive to Namjoon’s party goes well for you, if you say so yourself. Not ready to deal with being alone with Seokjin, you make sure to call one of your friends from back home, spending the entire trip with your phone glued to your ear, rudely ignoring Seokjin’s attempts to talk to you until he gives up.

Walking into Namjoon’s place, the distinct smell of a fresh Christmas Tree wafts into your senses as his fiance greets you at the door. She’s all cute and small with a pretty smile as she bounces through the home to lead you and Seokjin to the living room. You greet the others who have already arrived, Yoongi and his girlfriend Leah, and Hoseok and his fiance, YuRim. A table near the Christmas Tree holds the gifts, so you walk over to deposit your gift bag, Seokjin following with a bag of his own to set down.

The layout of the room is an open concept, and Namjoon stands in the kitchen with oven mitts on. It’s a little strange to see your boss in such a state, matching fleece Christmas onesies with Khaity, oven mitts covering his hands, and a stressed look on his face as he stares at the small timer on the counter.

“Oh, honey, let me take the cookies out, okay? Come sit down with our guests.” Khaity rises onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek as she slips the mitts off his hands before gently nudging him towards the sitting area.

Another knock rings out, and soon Namjoon leads Jungkook in with NaBi. You aren’t sure whether she came with Jungkook or arrived at the same time and was invited by Namjoon, seeing as she is his secretary, but the way they smile at each other softens the wall that you built up against love. Even if you and Seokjin were a failed attempt, you hope that those two blind co-workers might figure it out.

The macadamia nut cookies are first out of the oven, Khaity plating and placing them on the table between the couches where everyone is gathered. The last to arrive, Taehyung with Hana and Jimin, trickle in a few minutes later complaining that the cookies were all gone.

“We have chocolate chip ones coming out next, you can have first dibs, okay?” Namjoon appeases before his face turns into confusion. “Wait, where’s your plus one?”

“I ended things with Ji-Soo.”

Everyone shows various levels of shock, and despite avoiding him since arriving, you can’t help but to meet Seokjin’s eye with a raised brow.

“Really? Why?” NaBi asks, truly invested in their drama.

“She’s just…a little brainless. Nice tits, but let’s be honest, we live in the plastic surgery capital of the world.”

“Well, I guess we know who gets to wear the ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ santa hat tonight,” Leah jokes, tossing the furry red cap to Jimin.

“Gladly! But I had to block her number, she’s been blowing up my phone the past few days, and it’s gotten to be too much.”

“Probably for the best, right? You start your last semester next month,” Taehyung reminds his best friend.

“We’ll see, I might need to find a hot tutor in the class, maybe I can convince her to do my homework.”

“Do your homework, or do you?” Jungkook asks deadpan, and everyone laughs, the room full of mirth and holiday cheer.

“Why not both?” you second, sending the room into another round of giggles, and despite the awkwardness with Seokjin, you feel yourself relax into the persona you’ve adjusted into place to get through the night. You can do this, you remind yourself.

And you do a great job meshing with the group, hanging out with your coworkers and helping Khaity in the kitchen with some finger foods and more cookies to avoid Seokjin until the inevitable moment arrives. Gift exchange.

“All right, I’m going to get more wine in the kitchen,” Jimin stands, stretching his arms high as he steps over the others to escape the lovey dovey atmosphere as the couples exchange gifts.

Seokjin calls to him to wait, and everyone watches as he grabs the gift bag off of the table. Holding one of the dainty handles, his free hand reaches in and reveals a decent sized wine bottle in his grasp. “Can you take this with you? I got it as a contribution to the party.”

Jimin busies himself across the room with an open bottle of wine and his glass and you wish you could join him instead of engaging in the most awkward event since everything imploded last night. You pass the gift over to Seokjin who takes it with a little bit of shock, as if he’s just realized what type of party he came to and what he was supposed to do—and how he just fucked up.

Leah opens her gift first, a lavender velvet box containing a necklace. A small slip of paper flutters out, and she reads it before sharing the information. “A 100% pure sterling silver necklace with amethyst stones spelling a morse code message.”

“What’s the message?” Hana asks, leaning to look at the glittering stones.

“Badass Bitch.”

Taehyung laughs the loudest, almost choking on the chocolate chip cookie he was chewing.

“So, Seokjin, wanna tell us about the latest WeVerse gossip?” NaBi teases from the floor where she sits cross legged, cheeky grin as she rocks side to side next to Jungkook. Her hands fidget with the small charm on the bracelet Jungkook gifted her that you’re too far away to see clearly.

“Oh fuck, what a nightmare. My father basically kidnapped me. Took my phone and everything so I couldn’t contact anyone and let them know I was effectively unable to leave or even signal for help.”

“You wanted to be rescued? I thought dudes liked young, hot, rich heiresses. Your own Paris Hilton,” YuMi asks, and you can see her question holds a little…bite to it. You instantly like her.

“Hell yeah, I did not want to be there. I actually had plans that I was really excited for, but my father…he kind of ruined my night.”

“But the hot chick made it better, right? You’re gonna marry into the richest company, right?” Jimin shouts from the kitchen, cheeks ruddy from the wine. You, on the other hand, are over the topic of conversation. Moving towards the kitchen, you decide to follow Jimin’s lead and drown your sorrows.

“No way, she’s like eleven years younger than me. She’s barely old enough to drink, just finished Secondary, and we have nothing in common. Besides, I’m not attracted to her.” You can feel Seokjin’s eyes piercing into your skull, but you refuse to give him what he wants.

Namjoon’s gift from Khaity interrupts Seokjin’s next words, as he drops the small box holding an egg vibrator and turns red as everyone begins to laugh at his reaction. Except for you. Your eyes finally look at Seokjin, challenging him to finish his thoughts from earlier as the group settles back into silence as the last few finish opening their gifts. Yoongi finally frees his gift from the box Leah wrapped it in; he holds up a black leather Valentino backpack to show everyone.

“I…actually—I’m dating someone else.”

The group instantly grows loud again, voices trying to speak over one another as various tones of disbelief, shock, and animosity filter through their accusations.

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Because, I wanted to make sure it didn’t interfere with work first, I didn’t need HR getting involved with my love life.”

“Oh?” Namjoon focuses on this tidbit of information, ears perked for more. “Do I need to worry? It’s not Ji-Soo, right?”

You sputter into your wine, but luckily the males in the living room are cackling at the accusation.

“NO! I draw the line at sloppy thirds, thank you very much.” You try to slink away, the balcony looking like a great hiding spot when Seokjin says your name and everyone turns to you. “I brought my girlfriend and wanted to tell you all tonight.”

The group goes crazy once again at this turn of events, with Leah being the voice of reason once everyone settles. “Seokjin, I promise you, we never would have guessed…you didn’t even trade gifts with her, so color me a little shocked!”

You know Leah means to call Seokjin out and make him feel shitty, but the reminder also makes you feel a little despondent. Even if Seokjin had no intentions of marrying that girl, his current actions speak volumes. He couldn’t even be bothered to get you a gift; Kim Seokjin was not actually interested in you.

As the group continues to pester Seokjin about how everything played out last night since he’s dating you, you take advantage of their deviated attention and head for the balcony to escape for some fresh air. You don’t really pay attention to the group behind you, but you can see shadowy movements as people get up and begin to filter out for the evening, a few of the girls coming to the balcony door to wish you a happy holiday break, their muffled voices saying jolly goodbyes.

You struggle to return their holiday spirit, and how can you, when you think about how while you’ve lost the real bet, you won the experience of having Seokjin as your boyfriend. This time with him has been…better than you ever expected. Living life with a little more color, risk, and fun, but now that the bet is over, you not only lost the shoes, but you’ve lost the taste of a different life, a fun life, with Seokjin by your side. Especially if his father demands that he marry that…child.

The sound of the glass door sliding open is quiet, but you hear it despite not turning to look. You can tell from the spicy scent of bourbon & vanilla that it’s Seokjin.

“Aren’t you cold?” he asks by way of greeting, and from the corner of your eye you see him fidgeting with a wrapped box.

“I’m used to it.”

He hums, and you sense he wants to say more. A few moments later you are proved right.

“Thank you, for the gift. It, uh…means a lot, coming from you.”

“No problem.”

He huffs, and you can’t tell if he’s annoyed at your responses or if he’s annoyed at himself.

“Look. I’m sorry.” Seokjin’s voice is sincere, and you cave for a moment, meeting his toffee eyes. “I know that I royally fucked up last night, but I meant what I said earlier. I didn’t know and I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to be with you. I tried to text you, but my father—he’s a dick, you know?” His following laugh is empty of humor. “I hope that you’ll forgive me, Kicks. Holiday spirit and all, if you feel the same way that I feel…fuck—I don’t even know what to say.”

Seokjin hands the box he’s holding to you, stepping closer. “I know according to our friends, I won, but last night…it definitely violated the rules. So while I most likely would’ve won…I know in my heart I didn’t…but I think you had fun with me these two weeks, right? It…doesn’t have to end here, you know? I think the one thing I really want to win…is you.”

His gaze is too intense, too scary and full of the hope you stuffed way down, so you focus on the gift in your hands. Pulling at the open edge of the wrapping paper, you unravel the gift wrap to reveal a marbled cream box with gold letters across the top. Your breath grows shaky as cynicism sneaks into your chest, only to be replaced with astonishment. The Saeda 100 Unicorn Printed Satin Pumps with Crystal Embellishment lay in the box, sparkling in the light filtering through the balcony windows.

“Jin,” you try to speak, but all you can say is his name.

“You deserve these, and not just because I lost on a technicality. You deserve these because you are just as magical as these fucking shoes are. You challenge me, push me to be better, and help me along the way. You believe in me more than my own father. You just,” he sighs your name softly, taking the shoes from your grasp and setting them on the outdoor table so he can hold your hands, “you see me. All of me. And if I remember correctly, you weren’t opposed to what you saw, might have even liked it.”

His light teasing, alluding to that night, has your body warming despite the December chill.

“Do you mean it?” You hate that you have to ask, but you need to know it’s real. Not just you reading into something because of false hope clouding your judgment.

“God, you are so brilliant and yet, so dense.”

Seokjin closes the remaining space between your mouths, plush lips firm as they show you how much he meant every word.

“I want to be with you. No bets, no rules, no strings. Just you.”

📈📈📈📈📈

Seokjin’s POV

The drive back to Seokjin’s place is fast; neither of you can keep your hands off of each other and he refuses to slow at yellow lights in fear that he’ll combust if he doesn’t get you naked…

The moment he has you standing in his lofted bedroom, he pauses just to take you in. Seokjin swears he never thought he could get so lucky—he always thought his fate would be similar to Hoseok’s arranged marriage, though that turned out well in the end. But someone like you? He never saw it coming.

Shrugging his shirt off of his shoulders, he lets it fall quietly to the floor, stepping closer to you. His hands feel way too hot when he places them to your cheeks, but if he’s supposed to die from a burning desire, well fuck, he guesses there isn’t a better way to go. He’s falling hard for you, and as he ducks his head to meet your lips, he lets his hands move to undress you.

Seokjin doesn’t understand how you can be so soft, so warm, so inviting; everything about you envelops him until he’s consumed by you. Leaving you only in your underwear, he uses his hands to cup behind your thighs and lift you, carrying you to the bed.

“You look like an angel.”

Seokjin’s sheets are black, and with your white matching bra and panty set stark against the sheets, he’s in awe of you. He wants to savor you. He wants to defile you. Slowly, so slowly that you whine at him, he trails his lips along your clavicle, fingers lightly brushing your exposed sides. He pauses every so often to lave at your skin, supple beneath his tongue, before his dexterous fingers slide the straps to your bra down each arm. A quick tug frees your breasts, and his kisses continue to taunt and tease, circling but never reaching the pebbled nipple despite the arch to your back.

“Please Jin,” you beg, fingers fisting into his hair. He just chuckles at your neediness, your pleading words only adding to the pressure tenting in his pants. Trailing kisses lower down your stomach, his tongue traces the edge of your panties until he bites at the edge, making you squirm from his teeth.

He loves that he gets to have you like this; wants you like this always, pliant and happy beneath him. Settling himself lower, his chest between your thighs, Seokjin begins to mouth at your covered core, tongue searching for the slit between your lips where your clit waits, probably throbbing for him.

The sounds you make are pornographic, egging him on more. Wrapping his arms under your thighs, he curls his bicep so that his fingers can reach the edge of your panties. Pulling them aside, he pours his energy into leaving the sloppiest kisses around your clit and lips, strong arms not allowing you any room to pull away from the pleasure he’s delivering. Not that you’re trying to; your hands have a tight grip on his hair so you can roll your hips for maximum pleasure.

Tonguing at your leaking core, he flicks along your opening, reaching inside you before alternating to flick your clit. He wraps his lips around it and sucks, the pressure building as you cry out for more. Like a siren's call, he can’t deny you, so he surrenders two fingers to your pulsing walls, plunging them inside rapidly as you pant, moans slipping from your lips until you cry out his name.

He laps at you lazily as you ride your high, and when you pull back from over-stimulation, he pulls himself up along your body, flopping down to lay next to you where he can gaze upon you. You, his beautiful…girlfriend? Did you establish that? He ponders it for a minute until you call his attention.

“Fuck, Jin…You’re a demon.”

“I’m your demon,” he responds, looking for an opening to broach the thoughts on his mind.

“Only mine, right?”

He can hear the way your voice trembles as you ask, and he wants to kiss away any lingering doubts in your mind.

“Only yours. You’re my girlfriend, exclusively. If I’m honest, you have been since you agreed to my bet. It was only ever you.”

“Good,” you say, and he jumps when your hand rests atop his aching cock only two layers between your skin and his.

You eye his zipper before looking back at him, eyes low and simmering with heated desire. “Can I?”

Seokjin moves quickly to shed his remaining clothing, eager to have you in a way he’s only dreamt about. You laugh at his silliness, and while he was exaggerating a little to make you laugh, part of him really feels this way. Heart-racing and giddy, because of you.

You kneel onto the carpeted ground between his legs, waiting for him to lower himself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. He leaves his feet planted on the floor as he strokes himself, weeping with pre-cum that aids him in sliding his palm across his silky skin.

You trade out his hand for your own, delicate touches to show how much you cherish him before you take him fully into your mouth. He can’t look away, leaning back on one hand while the other strokes your head lightly, eyes on your face as your lips work up and down his shaft, tongue tickling his frenulum. Seokjin shivers with each pass. Your mouth is so warm, wet and dripping each time you choke a little on his cock, and your eyes look so pretty lined with unshed tears.

Fuck, Seokjin thinks he could fall in love with you fast, if you continue to look at him like that, with eyes wide as you deep throat his cock until your nose is tickled by the hair of his happy trail. Moaning as your throat convulses around his throbbing tip, light swallows squeezing the head. He almost says it when you pull off of him with a pop, just to take him deep again and add your hand to cup his balls as your dripping spit coats them to make for an easy slide through your fingers as you roll them in your palm.

Seokjin knows his own sounds are not very manly but he doesn’t care. He wants you to know how good you make him feel, and his breathy groans are a little higher than his normal talking voice but if anything when he lets out a sound it seems to invigorate you more and—shit—“I’m gonna cum, fuck, baby—” spills from his mouth and instead of popping off him and letting him cover your beautiful tits, you hold yourself closer to him until Seokjin’s sighing out your name as he falls back onto the bed, his eyes screwed shut as fireworks shoot through his veins.

📈📈📈📈📈

Reader POV

Returning to work after a week off is always tough; having to adjust your alarms to wake up on time, no more lazing away in bed watching Netflix or reading a new Best Seller you were gifted. No breakfast in bed after being Seokjin’s breakfast in bed—no time when you’ve overslept your alarm after a late night on Facetime with your boyfriend.

Seokjin’s out at his family’s vacation home, has been just for the weekend, where he told his parents about you and successfully avoided the marriage plans his dad attempted to trap him in. Once he gets back, there’s plans to have dinner with them—apparently his mom is excited to meet you.

Seokjin’s entrusted his car to you while he’s been gone, saying it’s because the oil and gas shouldn’t sit and build gunk in the engine, but you have a feeling it’s because he thinks it’s sexy when you drive. And you love how the car smells like him, like bergamot and spicy vanilla—a warm hug until he returns to you.

Parking in his designated spot, you enjoy the perks of dating the CFO as you ride the elevator straight from the parking garage to your floor. It’s easy to settle back into your work routine, checking emails and reviewing reports until NaBi pops in on her way to grab food, reminding you of the time.

“Overworking already? I thought dating the CFO meant you could relax a little.”

You laugh at NaBi’s teasing, shoulder bumping her lightly. She presses the call button for the elevator to go down to the cafe. “I can relax a little. I just miss him, so it’s easier to focus on work until he gets—Ahhhhh!” You’re happily surprised when you see a slightly tanned Seokjin appear when the elevator doors open. The other workers hanging around the Property Acquisition cubicles startle and look over, but you don’t care.

You greet him excitedly, kissing him right there for everyone to see. Openly showing him affection, where before you would have shied away, you can feel Seokjin is receptive to this as he pulls you in closer.

“I got us lunch,” he says between quick pecks before releasing you, and you realize he’s holding a tied plastic bag with styrofoam food trays.

“Sorry, NaBi!”

She eyes you as if to say, ‘bitch, you lying’, but her smile shows she’s not mad at you. You have a feeling this is the perfect excuse for her to have lunch with a certain IT coworker…

Following Seokjin to his office, you hold his free hand with both of yours. “I missed you,” you muse, and he chuckles at the sappy look you give him.

“I was only gone for the weekend,” he says with a wink as he leads you to his massive desk, “but I missed you too, so I thought I would surprise you with lunch. I’m glad I did, I get to see this version of you that I’ve always known was there.”

His words have you furrowing your brow, tilting your head in question.

“You know, my girlfriend, who I’m able to be goofy with, but who still maintains the same work ethic and drive that I love, just with heart eyes only for me.”

“Ew, why are you being so cheesy?” His words make your heart flutter, so of course you have to wrinkle your nose at how soft he’s making you feel.

“Because, you know, I kind of like you. A lot.”

Seokjin gestures to the corner of his desk, and you notice that the photo frame you purchased him for Christmas sits there, ‘World’s Best Boss’ engraved in gold with a purple frame surrounding a picture of the two of you taken on the candlelit dinner cruise. The card, where you poured out some of your most heartfelt thoughts about Seokjin and how much you believe in him, lay open under the clear, protective placemat on his desk along with the photos of his fraternity days, his mom, and other notes from Namjoon, Jungkook, and Yoongi.

You feel an overwhelming emotion fill your chest, so you lean in and kiss him, unable to contain it.

“I like you a lot too, but honestly, you’re lucky to have me. Your lover, your friend, your partner in crime…in sexy ass heels.”

Seokjin laughs with his whole chest as he sees you’ve got on the shoes he gifted you, and you thank your lucky stars for whatever brought the man in front of you into your life to help you avoid the red.

202 notes · View notes

btschooseafic · 1 year

Text

BTS-Hybrid au on Tumblr

organizing! I will try and tag all of the hybrid fics I reblog, but I wanted to specially note the fics I might want to re-read, or ongoing fics I want to keep track of

edited 02/11/2023

*completed*

Fix You by casuallyimagining

hybrid!yoongi x reader

reader takes in a stray cat who turns out to be yoongi. also available on ao3!

sequel, Home by casuallyimagining

hybrid!yoongi x human!reader, hybrid!namjoon x hybrid!hoseok, hybrid!jin x hybrid!jungkook

yoongi continues to heal from his past and develop his relationship with you, when he runs into his old pack. also available on ao3!

Somewhere I Can Breathe by myplaceforstories

hybrid!reader x taehyung, ot7 friendship

you go to the country, hoping it will be easier than living as a stray hybrid in the city.

The Little Fox by purpleyoonn

hybrid!reader x ot7, ot7 x ot7, a/b/o dynamics, trauma recovery, lowkey soulmate au

you run away from the bidding house where you were abused, and are taken in by a pack. also available on ao3!

Escape by amazedforjjk

hybrid!reader x hybrid!bts

you and seven other predator hybrid escape the truck that was taking you to your execution

Calico by mygsii

jimin x reader, jungkook x reader

after an incident, you end up taking in cat hybrid jimin. only problem is, you don’t know how to take care of him.

The Treasure Box by worldofblade

hybrid!jimin x human! reader, lowkey soulmate au, co-workers au

when you see everyone treating your new coworker jimin badly just because he’s a raven hybrid, you decide to befriend him

Mother Nature by alternateafterthought

tiger hybrid! hoseok x lioness hybrid! reader, heat, smut, college au

you ask your friend hoseok to help you out during your heat

Inheritance by jincherie

hybrid!yoongi x reader

your grandmother passes away and leaves everything to you, including her cat hybrid. also available on ao3!

Hybrid Games by moviefreaklover

ot7 x reader

you, a famous game designer, adopt seven hybrids

Choco Bun by nunchiimagines

ot7 x reader, kind of coworkers/office romance au, kind of cafe au

you are a rabbit hybrid who opens up a cafe under BTS Corp. no one expects the seven CEO dragon hybrids to take an interest in you

Outro: Love Is Not Over by kiirokero

hybrid!hoseok x human! reader, single parent au, teacher au

you are the single parent of a golden retriever hybrid, yunho. hoseok is his teacher.

Dance To This by hollyhomburg

ot7 x reader, polyam, first part finished, second part ongoing

you are blind and adopt jin to help assist you.

Sugary Sweet by hollyhomburg

hybrid!reader x hybrid!taehyung x hybrid!yoongi x human!namjoon

namjoon is a writer and moves out into the country cause of anxiety

Shelter of Hope by daydream-hobii

ot7 x reader

you and your husband namjoon run a hybrid shelter

A Place Called Home by agustdakasuga

ot7 x reader

you are a vet who tries your best to save hybrids. this extends to your personal life, and the many hybrids you’ve brought home with you

To Build A Home by euphoricfilter

ot7 x reader, 9 tailed fox reader, smut/implied smut

you and jin need to find an owner or a pack before the government takes you.

The Sanctuary series by writersrealmbts [7 parts completed]

Part 1, Safe with Me, seokjin x reader

Also on ao3!

Pack Trials series by writersrealmbts

werewolf au, hybrid au, choose your own adventure (choose which member), other groups available

also on ao3!

*ongoing*

Enchanted To Meet You by ditttiii

hybrid!ot7 x human!reader, soulmate au, idolverse

BTS has supposedly gone on hiatus. Secretly, they are shapeshifters searching for their soulmate--you. also available on ao3!

Eunoia by wishesunderthestars

hybrid!ot7 x human!reader, ot7 x ot7

you are a world famous director who suddenly keeps running into hybrids in need.

Abundance by angelicyoongie

hybrid!ot7 x human!reader, ot7 x ot7

you adopt three different packs of hybrids... who don’t get along. also available on ao3!

Peculiar Pack by daydreamindollie

hybrid!bts x human!reader

you are a hybrid psychologist who finds a hybrid stealing from your garden one night, and decides to take in him and his pack

Sly like a... by youarejesting

hybrid!ot7 x reader

you take in seven hybrid as part of a government experiment. also available on ao3!

Gossamer by aroseforyoongi

hybrid!taehyung x human!reader, dark themes, smut, human experimentation

you are a scientist. your job is to take care of the new hybrid in your lab.

Wabi-sabi by flurrys-creativity

human!taehyung x hybrid!reader

taehyung adopts a blind hybrid.

Sehnsucht by 20moonchild21

hybrid!bts x human! oc

Hope is a newly appointed lawyer who takes in an injured hybrid she finds on the streets.

Stubborn Hugs by eternal-mikrokosmos

hybrid!namjoon x reader, ot7 x ot7, ot7 x reader, smut, mystery

you bring home a koala and bunny hybrid. unfortunately, you and the koala hybrid have some history together. also available on ao3!

Perihelion by jincherie [hiatus]

hoseok x reader, roommates au, college au

you and hoseok accidentally become roommates. neither of you are very happy about it

90 Days by ttaehyungtrashh [hiatus?]

ot7 x reader

you are a cafe owner who has befriended jimin, who lives on the streets. when winter comes, you ask jimin and his pack if they want to come stay with you. despite his reservations, namjoon says yes.

restitution by cloudteawrites

ot7 x reader

you find out that an uncle you never knew existed was the head of a famous law firm. now that your uncle has passed away, he’s left you everything, including seven hybrids he had only recently adopted. also available on ao3!

Home Calls the Heart by anonnie-in-wonderland

ot7 x reader, grief, magic

both you and the boys are grieving when Taehyung brings you home to his pack.

#bts fanfic #bts fanfic recs #bts x reader #ot7 x reader #hybrid au #completed #ongoing #polyam

583 notes · View notes

jiminiesfavouritecolourisblue · 2 years

Text

What if... the CEOs were Hybrids? part two | BTS OT7 au

This chapter was made possible by @oknymz / @shadowofahope 💜💜💜💜 five minutes to spare, I made the deadline 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 11K words

Trigger warnings: swearing, possessive/obsessive behaviour, mentions of violence, alcohol, usual hybrid trope things

Prev / Next

Playlist : Dandelions - Ruth B, Can’t Help Falling in Love - Kina Grannis

Hybrids: KNJ - Wolf, KSJ - Bear, MYG - Panther, JHS - Lion, PJM - Arctic fox, KTH - Tiger, JJK - Bunny.

“They’re behind here I’m telling you,” Yoongi growls, staring a hole in the door to supply closet b, the only room that was locked.

They had been running around like fools in search of you, almost becoming feral with desperation.

Hoseok knocks on the door lightly, the taps not matching the fire in his eyes or the way his nostrils flared. It was faint, but your smell was here.

They hear the lock click, the door opening to reveal a smug sleepy Jungkook at the door, but that’s not what their gaze focuses on. There you are on the floor in Taehyung’s lap, sleeping in his arms. Jimin was asleep in hybrid form on your thigh, his little foxy face smushed against you. The tiger hybrid asleep with his back against the wall, holding on to you.

It’s a soft sight, it even melted their anger a smidge, having to force their jaws to remain clenched.

“Bunny was really tired,” Jungkook yawns. “She couldn’t sleep last night.”

“You three are dead,” Yoongi’s throat rumbles, his voice low not to reach your ears, but it reaches Jimin and Taehyung, their ears twitching to the sound, the threat rousing them from their slumber.

Jungkook’s instincts want him to fight or flight, but he stands his ground.

“We kept her away from the other employees, and we kept her safe,” Jungkook bites back, doe eyes turning stern as he lectures his hyung, a predator hybrid. “We didn’t take advantage of her, what’s the problem?”

Hoseok scoffs in disbelief, his tail agitated behind him, he doesn’t miss the accusation in the bunny’s tone. They weren’t going to be disrespected for making what they thought was the best decision, even if what Jungkook was hinting at held any weight.

“Ya locking her in a store room with three hormonal hybrids isn’t taking advantage of her?” Jin half whispers, half yells, eyes wide with exasperation, the sight would be hilarious under different circumstances.

“It's better than locking her in an office with four feral predators,” Jungkook seethes, eyes narrowing. The hypocrisy was unreal, he could smell the lingering scent of their horniness, even though it was masked by the desperation and fear their mate had disappeared.

“Ya Namjoon why aren't you saying any-” Jin’s voice gets caught in his throat as they all turn to the lead CEO. The wolf had his eyes dead set on the scene, his eyes blank of emotion, the sight has them all tensing, having seen this look before.

“Namjoon,” Yoongi calls for him delicately, trying to reach into the hole of thoughts he knew the wolf was burying himself in and pull him out.

Something snaps in him, his cheeks sucked in as a breath of angry air exhales from his nostrils. The tension can be felt heavily in the air, masked previously by their own emotions. Taehyung and Jimin, now fully awake by the sixth sense of an approaching storm, watch their alpha with fear creeping into their veins. The tiger holds you closer, ready to protect you from the oncoming danger, although in his sound mind he knows he’s going to be on the receiving end.

“Wake her up,” Namjoon’s voice is heavy, the command low and guttural, and each of their backs straighten to attention. “Seokjin hyung take her home, you three, in my office. Now.”

Any correction of ‘their’ office died in their throats as the wolf hybrid stormed away. They all release a breath they didn’t know they were holding, trying to downplay the goosebumps that made them shudder at the energy he left in his wake.

“Like I said,” Yoongi gulped, recovering from the menacing aura, trying to return to his stern demeanour, “you three are dead.”

—

The three of them stood with their heads low in submission in front of Namjoon’s desk, his eyes boring into them with so much heat they could feel themselves start to sweat. Hoseok and Yoongi were listening from outside, not willing to admit they were too afraid to go in.

“Did you tell her?” The deathly tone of his voice made them want to run, but they were frozen by the red eyes of their alpha.

“N-no we didn’t,” Jimin stuttered, knowing he needed to answer out of respect.

“She wondered why we were all scenting her, but she didn’t figure it out,” Jungkook explains, his little tail quivering behind him.

“Jungkook covered it,” Taehyung says, trying to placate the angry alpha.

“What did you tell her?” He stares down the bunny hybrid like the barrel of a gun ready to fire.

“I told her she was part of the pack,” Jungkook gulped. “Our hybrids recognised her as a packmate even though she’s human. That’s all.”

Namjoon nods, pacing behind his desk in thought. They were going to choke from the pheromones in the room. The wolf hybrid was emitting heavy miasmatic rage and the maknaes' knees were seconds away from giving out from the weight.

“She fell asleep in our arms Hyung,” Jungkook admits quietly against his better judgement, knowing that the lead CEO was in no state of mind to listen to reason but he still had to try, “that means she trusts us, she feels something for us.”

“She's human!” He seethes back, making Taehyung jump, “it means she was tired.”

They can’t find their voices to argue, letting the room fall back to that poisonous state of silence as they awaited the Alpha’s punishment of choice.

“The three of you are suspended for a week.”

The shock hit them like a slap, they were expecting a bigger workload, something that meant they couldn’t see you as much, not this. Not being able to see you at all, for a whole week?

“Hyung-”

“Argue with me and I’ll make it two.”

His foot was down and not budging an inch, they could see it in the way his jaw was set. As much as they wanted to complain they swallowed it down, a week without you was torment enough, they wouldn’t be able to handle two.

—

The air in the car is stifling… Jin was oblivious to it, or so you thought but it was obvious with the way your entire body was running like you had a fever from the embarrassment of waking up to six of your bosses staring at you! While you were in the arms of one of them! You couldn’t control the impulse, you buried your head in your hands and groaned. There were ice caps in the arctic melting because of the heat from your cheeks alone!

Jin tries not to, but he chuckles at your actions, trying to look nonchalant as he drives but you hear his little breaths of laughter, whining into your palms.

“If I call in sick tomorrow will you cover for me?” You ask the bear hybrid, your hands coming away from your face as you stare at him seriously. He was already having such trouble stifling his laughter, but the look on your face as you tried to conspire with him made him burst.

“Jin it's not funny,” you grumble, pouting over your predicament.

“Honey you don’t have to be embarrassed,” he says fondly, smiling as he steers onto your road.

Your stupid heart flutters at the term of endearment he introduced today, you couldn’t help thinking it sounded like you were a couple. As quickly as your heart swelled, it sank. You were just an employee, how many times did you have to tell yourself that?

You cough weakly into your hand, his eyes snap to you as if you’d grown a third head.

“Oh no,” you say dramatically, obviously faking, the back of your hand placed delicately to your forehead for good measure. “I must be coming down with something *cough* maybe I won’t be able to make it into work tomorrow.”

Jin sighs, for a second he believed you, the worry in his chest had his senses set to panic. You frown when he doesn’t smile at your joke, not a hint of it left from earlier, instead he's releasing a breath as if he had been holding onto it.

“Beautiful girl,” he sighs, his tone slightly berating you. “Don’t ever joke about things like that.”

After a day like today, with their mate smelling the way she did, the need to take you home, look after you, shower you with love, protect you from everything in their nest was overwhelming. Fear ran riot inside of them when you were ‘missing’, it was the worst prank those maknaes could play on them, and now a joke from your own lips about your health made his hybrid feel a sadness he couldn’t quite explain. It was mixed with the essence of failure, like if you got unwell, it would be his fault.

“Jin?” You call him out of his thoughts, his eyes swim with so much emotion as he looks at you, really looks at you. Your frown melts into surprise, not expecting to be attacked with that expression on his face. “Umm… Thanks for the ride.”

You try to smile but it's a nervous sight, you know he can hear your heart pounding, and you needed to save yourself from some embarrassment today at least.

“You really didn’t have to…” You open the car door, ready to make your escape. You wished you fought back harder, but he was adamant about dropping you home, the hell was he going to risk any hybrid on the streets smelling you.

“See you tomorrow Y/n,” he says when you step out of the car. The corner of his lips turn upward in an attempt to return your smile, but it doesn’t reach the sorrow in his eyes. You normally hate when they refer to you by name, they only did so when others were around, or when you were in trouble, but this didn’t feel like that. He said your name with so much weight you couldn’t understand it, only staring at him again in shock.

You recover a moment later, brows furrowing in thought as you close the door. He watches you enter your apartment building, leaning onto the passenger side of the car to watch the light come on in your complex. You were home, you were safe, he felt himself breathe a little in relief.

You weren’t theirs. The thought had been repeating itself in his head since you called his name minutes ago. As much as they loved you, wanted you, the facts were irrefutable. You weren’t theirs. He sighs deeply before pulling away, a silent drive back to their mansion to dwell on his thoughts.

—

There was a weight pulling you down in the office this morning. Your thoughts evidently elsewhere, that was clear to see on your face. Every few seconds you would catch yourself drifting before trying to shake yourself out of it, trying to focus on your work but you couldn’t. The guilt was eating you alive.

“Kim depyunim looks as pissed today as he did yesterday,” you can hear one of your co-workers gossiping.

“Wonder what's got him so stressed out?”

You could haphazard a guess. You fight down the groan that makes its way up your throat. Maybe he thinks you’re trying to seduce them, after yesterday's scene, you’re so sure you’ve disappointed him. He wasn’t there when you woke up, he must’ve walked off fuming at the sight of you cuddling up to his packmates. But then… Jungkook said they saw you as one of the pack so why… unless, you hadn’t been accepted by their alpha yet, and now you’re sure you won’t. You fucked up, you fucked up so bad by taking their friendship for granted, they were your employers, why did you forget that fact so easily?

“Earth to Y/n,” Yeri waves her hand in front of you face, the turtle hybrid had been talking to you for the last minute only to realise you had been spaced out.

“Huh- Oh sorry, what were you saying?”

She frowns at you, handing you the file for today's meeting while wondering what was going on with you. The second the file is in your hands your heart sinks, you hadn’t forgotten about it, oh no, quite the opposite. The entire evening you were thinking about it, the fact you would have to face your bosses at this meeting after yesterday's events.

It plagued you so bad it gave you nightmares, every hour you woke up after scenes of Namjoon yelling at you, or Yoongi refusing to speak to you. Hobi didn’t even look at you even though you begged him to with tears in your eyes. You know they were only dreams, they weren’t real, and yet they felt so believable that even now when you were awake you held some sorrow over them, as if they really did happen.

“Are you okay running the meeting, you don’t look great…” she comments, braced for you to faint or something.

Here it was, an opportunity for someone to take over, for you to run home and hide. But as much as you were terrified of their reaction to you, you worked so hard preparing for this meeting, your team was relying on you, and so were the CEOs. You had to deliver it, you had to show them you were worth working here. And plus, you fixed the problem anyway…

Yeri watches your face fall into a despondent state, were you okay? It was almost as if you were in mourning or something, and she felt too awkward to ask any further questions. What was wrong with you?

You only nod in reply, walking away from her in thought as you make your way to the meeting room. As always you were thirty minutes early, the room was empty as it normally was. You weren’t as efficient as you normally would be, your pace slow as you organised your material, set the room up to your liking. You didn’t even acknowledge when your colleagues made their way in and sat in their designated seats, but you felt it when they did. You back went up, a sixth sense you couldn’t explain when Namjoon stepped through the door, followed by 3 other CEOs. You didn’t make eye contact, you didn’t turn their way or greet them when your coworkers stood and bowed, you pretended as if you didn’t know they were here. But you knew they could hear your heart running like it needed to escape, your heavier breathing as you tried to calm down.

Yoongi can smell the anxiety, your back was to them as you sorted out the computer and projector, but he could see how tense you were. He glances at their company founder, who almost glared at you before swallowing down whatever thoughts he was having, pretending you didn’t exist. Sometimes the other CEOs wanted to get a chisel and hammer, and crack open that skull and see what the hell was going on in that head of his.

The lights dim before the presentation begins. You’re grateful for the darkness, thinking it would hide their faces from you, but when you turn around you realise it only enhances their intimidating demeanour. You felt like prey in the middle of a hunt, their eyes glistened in the low lights, and you knew they could see you better than you could them. The thought has a flood of vulnerability rush through your spine and chest, only increasing your growing anxiety like a tsunami. You take a deep breath before you begin.

Hobi’s gaze doesn’t miss the way your hands were shaking as you grip onto your notes for the meeting, the way you cleared your throat before you spoke. Under normal circumstances your presentations were captivating, you held the room, but today you didn’t even smile. All he wanted to do was wrap you protectively in his arms, rewind to yesterday when you were enjoying each other's company.

He sighs, Jin and Yoongi glancing at him briefly inquisitively, but of course they knew the thoughts that plagued Hoseok’s mind. They knew the maknaes weren’t being malicious in their revenge plot, they would never have ill intentions towards your wellbeing. The hyungs knew the youngest three were making a valid point in their demonstration yesterday, but the problem was they never thought it through, they never thought of or understood the consequences, the fallout, the way the older CEOs did. They could already feel your distance as you questioned yesterday’s events, your little brain working on overdrive, analysing everything.

Part of the lion hybrid wished Namjoon didn’t ban the cubs from the building during their suspension, they were so much better at keeping you close. He’s so deep in his thoughts, so busy absentmindedly watching your every move that he misses most of the meeting agenda, looking blank when the lights turn on and everyone’s eyes turn to the CEOs in the room. Thankfully Namjoon takes over.

“Good presentation Miss L/n,” he doesn’t look your way when he speaks, and it cuts you, you hated empty praise, you hated it when he used your last name, even in front of everyone. “I want team B to follow up on revenue, team A can hand over the files.”

“Well done for laying down the foundation for this contract team A,” Yoongi agrees, his eyes on you only, the praise directed at you even he said it to your whole group.

“Y/n you’ve got the best deal again,” Jin says fondly, smiling at you, hoping you’d return it. You bow politely at them instead as people gather their papers, ready to leave. The CEOs try to hang back, knowing you would clear your notes and linger behind to do so without distraction. Hoseok reads the material of what he missed, Yoongi pretends to small talk with Jin while they keep glancing your way. Namjoon answered questions from the floor managers, actually wanting to escape quickly but he was stuck listening to this imbecile.

“Should we stay late tonight to go over the material for the handover?” Alex asks you with a grin. Four pairs of ears instinctively lock onto the conversation, even the wolf’s.

“I can’t, sorry, I have a date,” you say bluntly, loud enough for them to hear, a tight lipped smile on your face. The hybrids reel back with shock, like you were intentionally trying to hurt them, but how could you? You didn’t know how they felt.

The whole meeting you could feel their gazes on you, more than just listening to the meeting. Their eyes had been interrogating, or it felt like it at least, so you said it to quell any ill intentions they might think you have, that you were another one of those employees who were desperate to seduce them. The second the words were out you regretted everything; saying yes to that stupid blind date, coming to work at all, and everything that happened yesterday.

“Excuse me,” you can’t even force a smile as you exit, your heart pounding in your chest when you feel their eyes pierce you, unable to handle it.

—

“A date? A fucking date!” Yoongi uncharacteristically yells at the other three in the office, Hoseok and Jin leaning on the walls behind their respective desks, both appearing despondent staring at the floor, Namjoon pretending to read the files in front of him, ignoring them. “How can she go on a date when yesterday we-”

He sighs exasperated as his fingers comb through his hair in frustration, one hand on his hip as he shakes his head. Yoongi never raises his voice like this. He got angry yes, but his rage was always cool and calm, unless of course it regarded you. How could you flaunt this in front of them when yesterday you were bonding, scenting, SLEEPING with them? Why were humans so dense? He was so sure deep inside of himself you returned their feelings, but now, he was losing hope you did at all.

“Namjoon stop pretending to read we can smell the burning pot you’re trying to put a lid on,” Seokjin reprimands him, trying to contain his own fury at the CEO, partly blaming him for your sudden interest in dating. In all the years they’ve known you, not once have you been with someone else, they would have smelt it on you if you had, so why now? Why were you pushing them away after yesterday? As much as they wanted to pry open Namjoon’s skull, he wanted to read your mind more.

“It's her choice to-”

“She doesn’t know we’re an option because you wouldn’t let us court her,” Yoongi spits, tail agitated behind him as his pupils almost turn into slits.

The wolf hybrid has to force his jaw shut to not bear his teeth at his packmate's aggression, his eyes glinting red as they stare the panther hybrid down.

Hoseok scoffs at their behaviour, at the situation.

“Good thing the maknaes aren’t here,” he thinks out loud. They would have lost it, plotted some game or plan to stop you, but maybe that was what they needed. As diabolical as it sounded, every bone in his body wanted to stop you. “Should we tell them?”

“It’s none of their business,” Namjoon snaps, his nose flaring. “It’s none of our business, she’s our employee, she’s allowed to date whoever she wants. Her private life is just that, we don’t get involved.”

He stares each of them down, the pot reaching boiling point. Each of them deflate into submission, even Yoongi, his shoulders sinking, his gaze falling to the floor. Their alpha’s pheromones were strong in presenting his wrath, but it couldn’t hide the scent of misery and ache.

Yoongi walks up to his desk, his head still bowed but the adrenaline in Namjoon’s system still had his back up as he watched the panther wearily. His best friend can barely look him in the eye, not out of respect for their pack leader, but because for the first time in his life, their alpha let them down. Namjoon swallows down his own sorrow, his own regret that’s caused this rift between them.

“Our mate is going to let another man court her,” Yoongi explains solemnly so every word is heard and understood. “Another person is going to put their hands on her, we’re going to smell him on her. Why are you pretending that's okay?

You love her just as much as I do.”

He doesn’t wait for a response, storming out of the office before his rage built again and he ended up punching the wolf for his stubborn stupidity.

—

You could cancel, would that quell the growing anxiety inside of you? But the whole point of this date was to move on from this unrequited infatuation with them that was boarding on pathetic. You’re sure Namjoon’s caught on, why else would he look at you like that during the meeting? He must be so disgusted and disappointed in you.

Jimin, Tae and Kookie would tell you what was going on inside their alpha’s head, they didn’t hide things from you, you could actually call them your friends. What if this whole situation took them away from you? What if Namjoon told them you were just like everyone else, trying to get close to them for an agenda. Is that why you hadn’t seen them yet?

As much as you told yourself you needed to create a professional distance and set boundaries before any misunderstandings could form, you couldn’t lie to yourself that you didn’t want anything to change, you didn’t want to lose them or what you had with them. Was that so selfish? You didn’t want to lose them, you didn’t want them to hate you, and you didn’t want to feel like this anymore. Like your love for them was wrong.

The office was bustling around you and yet you were still, a mountain of work sat on your desk and you couldn’t even glance in its direction. You should’ve called in sick.

“Y/n!” Jackson calls for your attention, standing beside you, frowning at your despondency, almost the same look he saw on one of his bosses moments ago. The Golden retriever hybrid was the perfect secretary, unflinchingly loyal, and able to read every emotion cue before they even presented. Something was going on, and his instincts told him to stay out of it.

“Hey,” you greet him, his presence jolting you into starting to go through the pile of work, even if it was just to look busy.

“Min Depyunim needs you in his office ASAP,” he instructs.

His frown deepens at the way your heart rate skyrocketed, the growing anxiety perspiring from your skin.

“Did he say why?” you ask with a gulp, your eyes wide like a prey hybrid.

“No, just that it was urgent.”

You only nod in reply, not trusting your voice as you leave your desk. Each step to that office would normally bring you a sense of comfort, anticipation in the best kind of way, but today your shoes were filled with lead. You hold an empty folder against your chest as if that would offer you any defence.

The door opens before you knock, your fist in the air as you come face to face with Yoongi. The panther hybrid detests eye contact, it was more a sign of aggression in the hybrid world, but now his eyes were boring into yours, pleading you without words. Both your faces mirror a sense of sadness, your voices caught in your throats. His hand wraps around your wrist that was still caught midair, pulling you in when you made no move to.

His office still had hints of yesterday, he locked it after you left, not wanting the cleaning crew to erase your scent or the evidence of your bonding session. The windows were closed, but the air in the room wasn’t stifling. Even though you were human, the room was calming your tense composure. That is, until your boss opens his mouth.

“I need you to stay late and help me with a new merger,” he announces, his stoic stare almost daring you to defy him, but behind that demeanour he was nervous.

You stare back in shock, he knew you had a date. He heard you at that meeting, you're sure of it, so why?

“Kitten?” he searches your face for a hint of something, anything. “It's an important deal, I need my best girl on it.”

You take a deep breath at the compliment, your heart fluttering against your wishes. Your skin flushes with heat, and you hope his hybrid senses can’t pick up the warmth you're suddenly emitting. Here it was… a way out, a way to just go back to how things were. You could say yes.

“I can’t,” you shake your head, looking away from his penetrating gaze before it coerced you into giving in. “I have plans, I’m sorry I can’t.”

“Cancel.” The word comes out like a command before he can correct himself. “Reschedule, this is important.”

The folder in your arms is squeezed closer against your chest, your eyes close, you almost look like you’re fighting with yourself.

Give in Kitten, come on, did you really like this guy? Did you really not want him and the others? They were so sure, with the way you reciprocated their affection, that you felt the same. The idea that you didn't, sent a stabbing pain straight through his chest.

“I can’t, I’m really sorry,” you wish he knew how sorry you were, fighting to keep your eyes from watering. You didn’t want to go tonight, but you were forcing yourself to.

“Why?” he fights the growl from his voice, his eyes piercing you.

“I just can’t,” you hold back the sorrow in your tone, but he can still hear it, realising he was possibly putting you between a rock and a hard place. He tries not to scoff, tries not to take it further, but he can’t help himself, he was so pissed at this situation, the idea that someone else was getting to be with you in every way he wanted to be.

“Miss L/n this deal is important-”

“You’ve said that,” you cut him off, arguing back. You hated when he called you that. Every time he was annoyed with you, every time you made a grievous mistake back when you both didn’t get along, he used your surname in that tone, and this time it irritated you. “But I’ve read my contract, I don’t have to say yes.”

He takes a deep breath, both your spiking distress starting to destroy the previous ambience of his office, and he didn’t want to lose it. He walks away from you, trying to cool down, only turning back when he reaches his desk, hoping the distance would give him a chance to breathe.

“Will there be repercussions Min Depyunim?” you ask, your eyes staring daggers into his softening features. He shakes his head, looking down at the ground between you, disgusted with himself. He was so desperate for you not to go, was he really going to force you to stay?

You sigh, Min Yoongi doesn’t back down, not with you. He gave in to you when you needed him to, but he never backed down when you playfully bickered, and definitely not when you argued.

“Yoongi are you okay?” Your glare dulls, the concern for him easing your temper.

“The cubs explained that we all see you as part of the pack right?” His head is still angled to the floor but his hooded eyes look up at you.

You nod slowly, his words sinking into you slowly since they came from nowhere.

“You don’t smell like us today, it’s put us on edge,” he lies. “Can I scent you kitten?”

He could hear your heart pound against your ribcage, trying so desperately to run to where it belonged, in his arms, in his hold. You were their mate, your body knew it, why didn’t you?

You hesitate. Every single repercussion and consequence ran through your mind telling you to say no, but you didn’t care, not until a certain wolf hybrid’s glare entered your head. Yoongi can see your eyes glisten with wherever your thoughts were going, the way they were imploring him to pull you out of whatever melancholic place they were taking you.

“Come here,” he orders, sitting on his desk with his legs open for you to stand in between. He doesn’t miss the shift in your eyes as they dilate at the preposition, the way your breathing gets heavier.

Seriously, does he want to kill you? He wants you to stand there, he didn’t do it like that yesterday. His stare compels you to walk forward, your grip still digging into the folder in your arms, but when did you ever need a shield against Min Yoongi? As soon as you’re close enough he grabs your hand, pulling you closer to him. He smirks as you try to avoid eye contact, shuffling where you stood. He takes that damned file away from you, throwing it somewhere on his desk.

You feel vulnerable without it, yet there was something exhilarating about the position you’re in. Your scent changes, a ghost of yesterday’s intensity, but the subtle smell was enough to get his panther preening. His arms wrap around you, his face buried into the juncture of your neck. He rubs his nose against your skin, his ears perking at the way your breath hitches.

You jump when there’s a knock on the door before it opens, the panther possessively not letting you budge as you panic. He scowls at the door, ready to tear into Namjoon if he was interrupting again, not giving a shit as to what their alpha thought anymore.

“Hyung- Oh,” Hoseok’s mouth forms a perfect circle in shock, his eyebrows rising at the sight and audacity of the older CEO. He locks the door when he walks through, his features composing as he smirks at Yoongi. There was no need for anyone else, or their pack leader to walk in on this.

Your little fight against Yoongi’s hold ceases when you realise your efforts are futile, your head dropping to his shoulder in defeat, and with the way your skin was burning, embarrassment.

“Kitten, are you hiding from Hobi?” He sniggers, unable to resist teasing you. It was odd, having this moment with you all while knowing you were going to be with someone else tonight. Bittersweet didn’t seem like the right word, it was crueler than that. His tail wraps around your thigh at the thought of having to let you go, he didn’t want to.

You didn’t realise how touchstarved you were until you felt his soft fur on your skin, melting into his hold a little more. Maybe you really did need this date if the only place you were getting an inkling of physical attention was your seven bosses, perhaps that was what caused this dilemma in the first place, maybe you were just confused about your feelings because you hadn’t had any romantic interests since you started working here. Maybe it was just a stupid crush and you were overthinking everything. As much as you tried to convince yourself, you knew you were lying.

Hoseok’s arms wrapping around you from behind underneath Yoongi’s pulls you out of your sinking thoughts. He nuzzles his cheek against the top of your head, scenting you to soothe that sour flavour seeping from you. When your aroma settles back to its natural sweetness he’s satisfied with his work, resting his chin on the other side of your head on your shoulder.

“Sunshine, why are you being shy?” he whispers into your ear like he’s sharing a secret, chuckling when you bury yourself further into the panther hybrid. There’s an amused breath of laughter from the CEO you were trying to cocoon yourself in, but his heart swells at the fact you were seeking comfort in him.

“Hmmmm,” he pretends to pout, pressing his lips against the sliver of skin showing on the juncture of your shoulder and neck. “Should I leave sunshine?”

You shake your head against Yoongi, one of the hands that was gripping onto his shirt, coming away to hold onto the sleeve of the lion hybrid behind you before he had the chance to pull away. He smiles fondly at the action even if you weren’t coming out to play. He kisses the back of your head quickly, using your current state to his advantage. He feels you stiffen slightly before you relax again, your heart is hammering so hard he can feel it through your back. His eyes glance at Yoongi, a silent communication shared between them both, the same thought echoing through their minds. It might have been wrong, it might cross every boundary Namjoon told them to avoid, but they would scent you so intensely that if you were with a hybrid tonight they would suffocate on the stench. They would cover every available inch of you in their smell that every hybrid would know you were accounted for. They didn’t even want to think about what they would do if the stupid person you were seeing was human.

Hobi rests his forehead against the back of your head, wishing he could just read your thoughts. Why were you doing this to them? His embrace tightens, his sunny disposition clouding. He didn’t think he could handle it, if you came into work smelling of someone else. Something sharp grips his chest, like a thousand thorns piercing into the flesh, trying to claw its way into his heart. He wants to beg you not to do this, but the words get caught in his throat.

He closes his eyes, sniffing your hair subtly before it would become tainted by someone else, trying to lock it into his memory as if this was the last time he’d see you. He was usually so content in your presence, always eased and comforted by just your smile or laugh. But now he was fighting back tears, feeling like you had slipped out of reach even though you were here in his arms. He feels another hand on his other arm, recognising Yoongi’s touch. The lion hybrid was pouring out a damp essence with his sorrow, unbeknownst to you, but the older CEO could sense it. Maybe a part of you could too, your thumb starting to stroke his arm soothingly making him ache.

Why didn’t you want them the way they wanted you?

—

Day one of not being able to see you and they were already a mess. Three Hybrids laid in Jungkook’s room, staring at the ceiling wondering where it all went wrong. The bunny hybrid took the bed, Taehyung was on the floor, the oldest maknae on the bean bag. They were in here all day, feeling lost without work, well not work, without you. They didn’t realise how much they looked forward to their day because of you until Namjoon took it away from them.

“This week is going to be torture if all we do is contemplate our life choices,” Jungkook states blankly, his stare still on the ceiling.

“It’s already torture,” Taehyung huffs, clutching onto the pillow he stole from the bed earlier. “Did you hear him last night tell Hyung he had plans for us when we got back.”

He shudders, his chin digging into the soft material in his hands for comfort. He may have been a tiger but their alpha could instil fear in anyone, regardless of rank or breed.

“What plans?” Jimin asks, his head rising to look at his best friend on the floor.

“He’s going to make us work on another floor,” Taehyung replies sadly, his whole face falling from despondency to complete heart break.

Jimin groans, pushing his hair back in frustration as his head hits the beanbag again.

“He can’t do that,” Jungkook says quietly, terrified at the prospect that the one thing that keeps him sane at that dreaded building was going to be kept away from him.

“He can,” Jimin spits before whining, “this is so unfair, he’s overreacting and he knows it.”

“I’ve never seen him so mad at us before,” Taehyung sniffs.

Jimin sighs, not wanting to add to the melancholy infecting the tiger hybrid.

“Maybe he’ll come to his senses before we’re back at work,” he tries to sound hopeful, but it fools no one.

“Even if he does, we still have a week of suspension,” Jungkook scoffs. “He won’t back down on that just to prove a point.”

They sit in silence, stuck in this purgatory without you.

“Right!” Jimin sits up with a clap, looking at the other maknaes with an expression that could only be described as displeased. “We can sit here all week, or we can distract ourselves.”

“How?” Taehyung asks with a pout.

“Treat it like a holiday,” Jimin suggests. “Let’s go out before the hyungs come home.”

Jungkook sighs, it wasn’t a bad idea, but it would have been better if you were part of the equation.

“Where do we go?” he tries to give into the proposition but he wasn’t feeling it.

“I don’t want to get hit on,” Taehyung announces, the insinuation in his voice clear, that meant nothing too public, or anything too high end.

“We’ll clear out the VIP lounge at our club,” Jimin shrugs.

“Which one?”

Their company owned a few but they were more personal entrepreneurial revenues, Hobi, Yoongi and Namjoon owned Cypher, a more underground clubbing scene. Hoseok owned another with Jin and Jungkook called Jamais Vu, while Jimin shared Dionysus with the panther and their alpha.

“What difference is sitting in a club going to make when we can sit here?” Jungkook grumbles. “What's the point?”

“We have a week of hell Jungkookie,” Jimin stands, walking over to the bunny hybrid pushing him to get up. “Let's try to survive it.”

“I don’t want to go clubbing, I don’t feel like dancing,” Taehyung mopes.

“Aish you both are killing me,” Jimin complains, still trying to budge the maknae into moving. “What about your bar Tae?”

He contemplates it, eyes looking up as he thinks it through. Scenery was normally quiet, only bringing in the older generation since it was a jazz bar as unique as the tiger hybrid himself. The others didn’t think it would do as well as it had but some people wanted the gentle calm compared to the rioting lights and loud music. It was huge so even if it were a busy night it never felt like it.

“Yeah Jungkook let’s go,” he agrees after deeming the suggestion acceptable.

The youngest groans, his arms covering his eyes in protest, pretending to sleep.

“Jungkook, do you really want to stay here and hear the hyung’s gloat about their day with Y/n?” Jimin sounds solemn, making the bunny peer at him.

No, he didn’t want that at all.

—

“Explain to me how this is different to staying home?” His nose twitches cutely, watching Taehyung’s regular patrons enjoying their evening, not missing the way most of them were couples. Jimin can’t help laughing at the pout and grumpy eyes the bunny was adorning,

“This place has alcohol,” Jimin giggles, already on his third drink.

“We have alcohol at home,” Jungkook mumbles back, leaning back in their booth near the back of the establishment while Jimin signalled to the bartender for a top up.

“So much for not dancing,” Jimin chuckles at the sight of the tiger hybrid dancing on his own, perfectly content surrounded by the couples, not a care in the world. He catches them watching, giving them both a shy smirk, teeth biting into his bottom lip as he grinned.

“We should invite Flower here,” Taehyung says a little breathlessly as he slides into the booth next to Jimin, seemingly having had enough of the dancing.

“You know hyung banished us from the office,” Jimin thought out loud, “he didn’t say anything about contacting Angel out of hours.”

Jungkook snorts at the logic.

“I think it was insinuated,” he rolls his eyes, the pair of them instigating an argument about the topic while Taehyung watches chuckling.

“What hyung doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Jimin shrugs.

“How many times have you said that-”

But the tiger hybrid doesn’t hear the next words, his face turns blank as his senses tune into the sound of the door opening, the little bell ringing. He doesn’t understand why he can suddenly feel his heartbeat harder in anticipation, his sixth sense taking over control of his body. There’s a gust of wind, a gentle breeze he can feel through the open door, and with it a familiar scent.

“How many times do you drag us into trouble?” Jungkook was still squabbling with the arctic fox, the pair of them unaware of their friend’s wavering attention.

“Taehyung tell this kit-”

They both turn to the tiger hybrid, taken back by his look of shock until they follow his line of sight. Their hearts stopped, taking all the life out of them in a single gasp. Was that really you or was it a mirage from their abstinence? Jimin and Jungkook are about to smile until they notice what Taehyung already had. You were sitting at the bar in front of them, seemingly alone until they saw the man you were with bring back two glasses. The smile you give him has them sobering.

Taehyung growls so deep that anyone would think he was in his tiger form, his eyes glow with a tint, penetrating that spot the bastard had his hand on your back. Jimin and Jungkook fare no better, a solemn fury burning through their sudden glares, and you must’ve felt the heat because you turn like they called your name, your gaze meeting theirs.

You turn away quickly, feeling like you got caught cheating which was absolutely ridiculous. You shouldn’t be feeling guilty, so why was it eating you alive? You tried to smile at your date as he leaned in to ask if you were okay.

Jimin scoffs at the sight, a humourless breath of laughter escaping as he shakes his head, who the hell did this idiot think he was? Why were you with him?

“Are they friends…?” Jungkook tries to keep the venom out of his voice, tries to dispute the idea you were out romantically with this asshole.

“If it was friendship they’d be out in a group,” Jimin comments. “Look at their body language, his especially, my little vixen is out on a date.”

The possessive lilt in his tone is intense, his glare burning your back. There’s a rumble from Taehyung’s chest at his words, the tiger’s tail whipping so hard you could hear it slice the air.

What the actual hell? Of all the places to see the CEOs, of all the nights, why this one? Why here? Your heart was thundering in nerves, you tried so hard to swallow but your throat had run dry, and your hands were shaking so bad you didn’t think you could pick up your glass.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay?” Eric asks you for the second time, your date so far had been fine, but even though it had only really just started you were so ready for it to end. He seemed like a lovely guy, not too eager, a little bit goofy and funny in a way that wasn’t his whole personality. But the second you met him, you saw all the ways he wasn’t them, and you realised that wasn’t fair on him.

You were trying, really truly trying to give this a chance, but those three intense stares you could feel on the back of your head reminded you of all the reasons why you didn’t want to.

You didn’t need this. The whole point of tonight was to build boundaries and distances, how were you supposed to do that when they were here.

“This place is something else,” he says trying to make conversation, looking around at the decor and beige tones. You couldn’t tell if he liked it or not. “So why did you want to come here?”

“Umm, I don’t know,” you admit. “There’s just something about this place that seems familiar and comforting, you know?”

Oh the irony of your words. You needed familiarity and comfort around you when you were stepping out of your comfort zone, but the three hybrids behind you had destroyed that plan.

Eric smiles at you in a way that lets you know he didn’t get it, it makes you laugh at the foolishness of your words. At least he laughed with you, the atmosphere only lightening a smidge.

“For a place that you like, you haven’t touched your drink,” he notes, looking at both your pints, yours was full, his halfway through. Fuck it, you needed something to take the edge off. His jaw drops in surprise as you down the whole thing, the glass coming down empty onto the bartop. “It wasn’t a challenge.”

You catch the amusement in his eyes, rolling yours jokingly with a smile. You could do this, you could totally handle being out on a date with the three of seven of the loves of your life watching you. You hiccup, did you really just think that? You were meant to think ‘three of seven of your bosses watching you’, you didn’t mean what you thought before. Shit, maybe you drank that a bit too quickly.

“Top up?” he asks, picking up your glass as he finishes his own, walking away to the busy barkeep when you nod. You didn’t want another drink, but you needed to breathe. For a second you forget something glaringly obvious, until three bodies join you where you’re sitting. You blink repeatedly at the stern expression of the arctic fox hybrid next to you, wondering if he were really there. The scene resembles something familiar to you, a mirror of how they would join you at your desk at work, but his eyes spell trouble in a way you don’t think you’re used to.

“Did you miss us, my little vixen?” Jimin asks, his voice low, the smirk on his face dangerous.

“Huh?” You only gawp at the question, your mind drawing blanks and failing to comprehend his words at all with his body so close to yours.

You hear a scoff on your otherside, turning to relieve yourself of the oldest maknae, only to meet the possessive anger in Jungkook’s gaze, Taehyung next to him, leaning on the bar, ignoring you.

“She didn’t even notice we were gone,” Jungkook comments, his tongue pushing hard against his cheek in frustration, believing his own words. “One day with the hyungs and she forgets all about us.”

He sniffs the air, not missing the way your skin was drenched in Yoongi’s and Hobi’s scent. Well your date was definitely not a hybrid, any right minded one would sense the obvious courting markers and run a mile, especially when it was a couple of predators that had done the scenting.

“The hyungs obviously haven’t done a good job keeping you company angel,” Jimin says, glaring at the advancing human walking their way. He puts on his best fake smile, ready to lull his new prey into a false sense of security before he takes you away.

“Y/n?” Eric looks at the men that joined you, frowning in question.

“E-Eric, umm these are my bosses from work,” you try to keep your features calm, but nothing would hide the alarm in your eyes. There's a low growl next to you at your statement, Jimin’s disapproving stare berating you more than his words could.

“Oh,” he says nodding, trying to understand the situation because something didn’t feel right. “What a small world…”

Jungkook scoffs again, what an idiot? Why were you here with an idiot?

“I hope we aren’t interrupting,” Jimin continues, that faux innocence in his voice not matching the devilish smirk on his face. “But the more company the better right?”

Eric now realises what was wrong with the scene in front of him, you were here on a date with him, but with the way the hybrids were surrounding you, he was nowhere near you. He was on the outside looking in, like the three men were purposefully keeping him at a distance, away from you. He awkwardly places the pint as close to you as he could… or as close as they would allow.

“Taehyung actually owns this bar,” Jimin gestures to the silent tiger before taking a sip of his drink. “What are the chances we’d run into you here?”

You can’t think of anything to say, your mouth kept opening and closing intermittently, you couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze, especially not your date’s. All the times you wished the ground would just swallow you up to escape, this was the hardest you prayed for it. Your hands fidget on the bar, fingers playing with each other, the uncomfortable air stifling. A large palm covers your own to quell the growing anxiety he could smell, your eyes pulled towards the culprit. Taehyung hadn’t said a word since they saw you, but his hand engulfed both of yours, unable to stand his mate in distress even if there was a volcano in the pit of his stomach ready to blow. He still doesn’t look at you, stoically staring ahead at nothing even with your eyes on him.

Eric’s frown turns comical at how intently he stares at your connected hands, adding numbers together but not yet reaching a conclusion despite how obvious the answer was. He tries to side step closer to you but the way the rabbit hybrid was standing behind you, curving his body to your right side, there was no way he could close the distance.

“Y/n do you want to dance?” he asks instead, if he couldn’t come in, he would pull you out instead. Did your bosses not realise you were on a date? Should he make it obvious you were to avoid any awkwardness?

Their backs stiffen, the palm covering your hands tighten their hold almost in warning if not desperation to stop you. Jungkook grunts in anger, the sound falling deaf on the human’s ears but not yours.

Cat got your tongue Kitten, dammit why could you hear Yoongi’s smug voice in your head now of all times. Y/n say something, you beg yourself. You don’t miss the sound of two tails sweeping through the air in agitation, trying to work out why they were behaving like this, until it clicked.

If they thought you were part of the pack, then it was only reasonable to assume they’d be protective over anyone approaching you. You’d seen it before amongst themselves, the way they’d act if someone tried to hit on one of them. That must be it.

“You go ahead,” you finally say with a tightlipped smile. “I’ll be there in a second.”

Although confused, your date decides to do as he’s told. You could feel the tension in their shoulders relieve with each step he took away from you.

“Are you guys okay?” you ask, they weren’t at work today and now you’re sure their moods were bitter bordering on bursting, something must have happened. They look at you in disbelief, Jimin laughs humorlessly shaking his head at how oblivious you could really really be sometimes. What excuse did your human brain come up with now? He had to know. How did you see all the signs they were giving you and translate them into something so ridiculous?

“Are you on a date?” Jungkook asks venomously, eyes holding yours so piercingly you have to remind yourself he wasn’t a snake hybrid.

“I-I am,” you try to sound confident. “Look, thank you for watching out for me, but Eric is fine.”

You try to smile, you really did, but you don’t know who you were trying to convince.

How could you not hear their hearts shattering? Of course they knew, but until it was out of your mouth it wasn’t solidified, it couldn’t be true. There’s a small whimper expressed from the maknae that he couldn’t control.

“And I should probably be getting back to it,” you sigh, standing up from the barstool, trying to ignore the way they were all holding onto you in some way. Jungkook’s hands ghosted over your arms, wanting to pull you back in your seat but he’s resisting the urge as much as it killed him. Taehyung’s hand lingers on yours for as long as he could before they’re gone. Even the back of Jimin’s forefinger was tracing your arm lightly as you stood, the anguish on all of their faces apparent. How could you be here with someone else when yesterday…

Yesterday you were in their arms, all afternoon. They scented you, they courted you, they looked after you. And you returned it all. How did that mean nothing to you? Were humans really that callous or so indifferent? Not you, they couldn’t believe you were that way, but the evidence staring at them as you started to walk away.

Taehyung can’t stand it, his teeth grinding hard as he grabbed your wrist and pulled you next to him, startling you with the sudden way your body jerked to his command.

“Tae-”

The low ferocious rumble from his chest silences you. His eyes avoided you the whole time he came to stand beside you and now they burned into yours, an unforgiving fire making them glow. Taehyung sits on the barstool next to yours, spreading his legs as he places you between them. The position is familiar, you were in a similar one earlier with the panther hybrid, but the glint in his eyes has it feeling so different. Your breathing turns so heavy you’re almost panting, his face so close to yours, all your senses are engulfed in him. Your pulse was so fast you could convince them you were a little hummingbird hybrid about to get caught in the tiger’s teeth.

“Taehyung,” you breathe, unable to look away from him, his grip was still like iron around your wrist, his tail wrapping around your middle. It was suddenly so hot, you felt like you were on fire, and all you wanted to do was smother his lips with yours.

You’re grateful for a second that he looks away, giving you a chance to catch your breath, and resist the pull of his stare. The feeling doesn’t last long as you realise his gaze has travelled down to your attire, the disapproving hum vibrating from his throat. You chose to wear this enchanting dress for someone that wasn’t them, you consciously went through your wardrobe and chose something so flattering for a man that you barely knew. His eyes snap back to yours, the flames reigniting in them with more lethal intensity. You gulp, just to soothe your drying throat.

“Y/n?”

Neither of you flinch at the sound of your concerned date, unable to comprehend the sight in front of him.

“Are you okay?” he says more urgently. “Hey I don’t think she wants you to hold-”

He makes the grievous mistake of trying to pry Taehyung’s grip away, the tiger turning his carnal fury on the stupid human. But before he can unleash his roar, you pull him back, fingers on his chin turning his face back to you.

“Eric I’m really really sorry,” you apologise and meaning it. “I’m part of their pack, you’re a stranger so they’re not familiar with your scent.”

You turn to the human as you explain, as much as Taehyung would let you.

“It agitates them, because they don’t know your intentions,” you sound logical, convincing, of course you do, you believe the nonsense you’re spouting.

Jimin said he wanted to hear the excuse you were making in that brain of yours, and here it was. If anything it aggravates them more, not just at your imperception but the fact all of this could have been avoided if Namjoon just let them confess.

“Does that make sense?” You ask, cringing at the awkwardness.

“Yeah that does,” he sighs, glancing at the hybrids that look ready to pounce and tear him to shreds. “Don’t worry about it, we can reschedule for another time.”

You smile gratefully at him, thankful he wasn’t screaming insults at you and making you feel like shit.

“Over my dead body,” Jungkook huffs under his breath, loud enough for you to hear.

“Thanks Eric,” you ignore the bunny’s outburst, “I’ll see you soon.”

At those words Taehyung’s tail wraps tighter around your waist, the movement not missed by the human.

With a wave he’s gone, and they finally feel like they can breathe.

“You guys are seriously too much,” you sigh, skin still tingling from the sensation of the tiger hybrid’s touch. “He wasn’t going to kill me.”

Jimin can’t stop the higher pitched growl leaving his lips.

“You don’t know that,” he scoffs.

Their clouded heads were clearing, slowly realising the events of what just happened even though they just lived them. This was bad, their judgement was so dictated by their jealousy and possessiveness it was bordering on dangerous.

“I think I need to go home,” you announce in a quiet voice, your own train of thoughts already taking you away from them.

“We’ll take you,” Jungkook offers, ready to rectify his mistakes.

“No I think you guys have done enough,” you frown at the floor, your harsh words hitting them with shame and heartache.

Jungkook blinks back sudden tears, unable to handle your rejection, even if he deserved it.

“Angel-”

“I really don’t want to hear it tonight, please,” your eyes close, fighting back your own watering eyes, swallowing down the hurt.

How could they do this to you? How could they not realise how you felt and not let you take this way out of it? They didn’t want you, they didn’t love you back, they weren’t allowed to behave like this and confuse you. You pull Taehyung’s clutch away from your wrist with your other hand, his tail falling limply at the grief sinking his whole soul.

You don’t say a word as you walk away, leaving three hybrids too stunned to speak.

—

Did you understand the nightmares that haunted Namjoon at night? The images of you accusing them of heinous hideous things that in the moment he believes with his whole heart. That look of hatred on your face that burns into his brain. Every time he woke up the hurt lingered into the day.

It’s a stupid defence mechanism he knows, the way he’s been behaving recently. His wolf side is angry and pissed with his human parts and the hybrid is taking it out on everyone around him, even you, even if you both hadn’t spoken since the day before yesterday.

The worst part of it was, he was holding you at a distance, his usual cure for his downcast thoughts. You were the one to pull him out when he buried himself in his overthinking and his insecurities. You always dug him out, and this time you didn’t, and he wouldn’t let you close enough to. This time you left him under the weight of his own misery and walked away with another man. His jaw clenches unconsciously, his bite so tense his teeth would break under the force.

This just proved everything he had been saying was right. You didn’t want them. They were helplessly and hopelessly in love with you to the point where they recognised you as their mate, and you didn’t return the feeling. As much as Yoongi argued that you were human so therefore you were dense to their affection, Namjoon couldn’t agree. How could you not see it when they behaved the way they did with you, only you. When else had he found his employee in the arms of his packmate asleep? When else would he allow someone outside of his pack to get as close to him as you did?

And to top it all off, every member of his pack started courting you for real the day you smelled the way you did. They were oblivious to it, or denying it themselves, but something inside of them clicked that day, and Namjoon could see the consequences in their behaviour even if they couldn’t. Why didn’t they understand it was futile, they were going to get their hearts torn out because of a human girl. Before their affection and gestures were always poised as a question, an indirect way of asking if you were interested in them. But now the boundaries were gone, they recognised you as their mate completely whether you were or not, this was everything he was trying to prevent. It was one thing to think it, now their more animalistic sides would accept nothing less but your hand in theirs.

His tormenting thoughts come to an abrupt stop as do his steps. He was walking past the empty meeting room, on his way back to the office when he heard it. He should walk away, but he can’t bring himself to. There was no way he should know that was you, but he did. His fingers close around the handle, his thoughts in overdrive, fighting with himself about what to do.

His instincts take over when he hears the sob, opening the door in a flash to the sound, staring incredulously at the sight of your tear stained face. You struggle to stop crying, choking on your tears as you try to control them, turning away from him. Your hand covers your mouth as you whimper, unable to hold back now the floodgates opened. You hear the door slam shut thinking he had left until you hear the lock.

“Babygirl-”

“Namjoon I-I’m fine,” you hold your tears back long enough to say it as firmly as you could, your face scrunching as the downpour continues.

He can see your shoulders trembling, he can hear the pain in your voice. It killed him.

Someone hurt his mate, as much as he tried to stop the thought it echoed in his head loudly. His mate was hurt, his mate was crying. He was caught between wanting to tear someone’s throat apart for putting you in this state and the urge to comfort you in his arms. It physically pains him not to step towards you, to not give in to all the cells in his body that screamed at him to go to you.

He couldn’t be a hypocrite, he has repeated to the others so many times, you weren’t theirs. How many times did he preach not to cross the line? How many times did he break his own rules?

“Y/n, as your employer, as your friend,” he says as calmly as he can, “tell me what’s wrong.”

If there was ever a wrong button to press, Namjoon could find it. You let out an unbearable whine, drowning out your loud cries in both your hands.

He takes a deep pained breath, his eyes closing as he fights so hard with himself, the wrinkles between his brows deep as caverns. He couldn’t, not after everything he said to the others, he couldn’t…

Fuck it.

His long strides close the distance quickly, his arms turning you to face him as he buries you into the safety of his chest. His arm traps you in his hold when you try to push him away, one hand in your hair trying to soothe you.

“Shhh babygirl it's fine,” his chin sits on the top of your head, his palm alternating between patting your head affectionately and stroking the strands. He’s never seen you like this, or heard just an anguished cry in his life. “I’m so sorry…”

He felt compelled to say it, hating himself for everything.

He lets you bawl your eyes out against him, holding you firmly through every violent tremble that shakes your body. His tail wraps behind you like a second arm would in a hug, his ears twitching to every sound you make. You clutch onto his shirt like a lifeline, unable to tell him he and the others were the reason for your tears.

It came out of nowhere, but repressed emotions have a way of finding an out. You barely made it to the empty meeting room before the tears started dropping, and you couldn’t stop. Everything that was happening between you and them overwhelmed you, you couldn’t take it anymore. You wanted to bang your fist against his chest and demand they understood what they were doing to you. You wanted to confess everything, let the dice fall wherever they had to, but you could barely breathe, how could you find your voice?

This needed to end before it destroyed you.

----------------------------------------------------------

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justimajin · 5 months

Text

The Profit & Love Statement » Pt. 22

↠ Pairing: Seokjin x Reader

↠ Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst

↳ 4k / CEO AU

↠ Summary: Through hours of endless training and hard work, Kim Seokjin is finally the CEO of Kim Electronics. He has everything at his hands - status, money, power. He owes it all to you, his rigid and sarcastic mentor who overseed his entire training. But as he steps into the shoes of becoming the CEO, he can only wonder what it means for your relationship now.

↠ Warnings: domestic yoongi, bts being chaotic

↠ A/N: This will be bit of a side chapter with the other characters!

↠ Next Update: Tuesday, November 28 (series masterpost here)

Yoongi's never looked worse.

He’s dressed in black baggy pants and a ruffled white t-shirt. His shoulders are bowed, deep eye bags lining his eyes and hair absolutely messy.

Hoseok speaks up about his haggard appearance.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He states, as if it was a fact.

A low cry resonates through the home, and he sighs. “I’m not too sure about Haru though.”

Hoseok takes a step into the home, followed by Jungkook who trails behind and widely glances around.

“How’s Hana?” The younger man dwells.

“Tired – very tired.” He shuts the door behind the two of them.

Hoseok is utterly speechless.

Yoongi is incredibly systematic, whether it was consistently keeping his office organized or always having the same black coffee resting on his desk during work hours. His home is typically kept in the same fashion, contained within a small living room and kitchen, two bedrooms and one bathroom.

In summary, the man is very put together on normal days. But Hoseok can’t say the same for today.

The living room is littered with both baskets of laundry and several small children’s toys.

A young boy in a white shirt and blue overalls suddenly runs into the room. He stumbles straight into Yoongi, glancing up at him with bright cat-like eyes.

“Dad!”

Yoongi softly smiles, “Hi, buddy.”

Leaning down, he lifts him up into his arms and Hoseok pokes the boy’s cheek.

“Hi! It’s Uncle Hobi!” He giggles, a large gummy smile emerging on full display.

Jungkook glances at Yoongi astonished, “Hyung, he looks just like you.”

“It’s the Min genes.” He warmly retorts, gazing down at his son.

A new voice pitches in, exhaling with fatigue.

“Yoongi, she wants you– oh.”

The woman that emerges from the bedroom door appears to be in her early to mid thirties, dressed in sweatpants with a dark cardigan thrown over. Her light curly locks have been tightened up into a messy bun, lethargy evident in her sluggish expression.

The corner of her lip lifts.

“I didn’t know you guys were here already.”

“Hana!” Hoseok loudly exclaims, going in for a hug immediately. “It’s been too long.”

“It has been.” She grins, “I’ve heard that instead of going out on dates, you’ve been buying dead plants.”

Hoseok’s mouth drops wide open and Hana crosses her arms. “You know you have to take care of those, right?”

He glances at Yoongi, exasperated. The latter merely shrugs with a smile.

“If you’re not going to hear it from me, take it from her.”

Hoseok pouts and Jungkook shuffles over, smiling sheepishly.

“Hi, Noona.”

“Jungkook.” She greets, stepping forward to hug him. “Congrats on the new job.”

He smiles, “Thanks.”

She deeply exhales, “Thank you for coming here today guys. Normally, we’re okay, but…”

Her and Yoongi make eye contact, and he speaks up.

“We really need a day off.”

A sharp cry resonates through the room. Immediately, Yoongi reaches out, putting Yoonsun into Hana’s arms.

“I’ll go check on her.” He mumbles, before swiftly entering the second bedroom.

She sighs, “We’ll only be out for a couple of hours. This one is calmer,” She lifts Yoonsun with a smile, who giggles, “–much like his father, I believe. But Haru has been having trouble with falling asleep on schedule.”

Hoseok nods, leaning down to set his bag aside. He glances at Jungkook with confidence.

“I think we’ve got this.”

Hana nods, stuffing her hand into her pocket. She takes out a sheet of paper with scribbles on it as Yoonsun plays with her hair.

“Here’s a list of everything you need to keep in mind.” She explains, “Don’t hesitate to call either me or Yoongi if you need anything.”

“Where are you going, Noona?” Jungkook wonders, a sly tone to his voice.

A giant grin stretches on her lips.

“Well, my husband’s promised me a nice and quiet dinner, but–” She leans forward, as if she was telling a secret. “I plan on getting absolutely wasted and dragging him down to karaoke.”

Jungkook chuckles and her eyes crinkle.

“Maybe wait for your husband to leave before revealing all your plans.” Yoongi strolls up behind her, a two-year-old girl settled in his arms.

The corner of Hana’s lip lifts, “As if you would say no to me.”

Yoongi scoffs and she snickers, before putting Yoonsun down onto the ground and kneeling to his small height.

“They’re going to be looking after you for a while.” She whispers, softly ruffling his hair, “Be on your best behaviour, okay?”

The boy eagerly nods. “Is Dad going too?”

“Dad has to go.” Yoongi mentions, handing Haru to Jungkook, “Otherwise Mom might come after him for not taking her out.”

She gyrates around, sending a playful glare in his direction. Yoongi simply grins.

***

After a moment had passed, Hana and Yoongi had proceeded to get dressed for the night.

Hoseok let out a low whistle once Yoongi had emerged, dressed in a perfectly ironed out dress shirt and black shacks, clean-shaven and hair parted to the side. He had mumbled something along the lines of wanting to look nice for his wife, to which Hoseok had grinned at. Hana had been waiting for him by the door, dressed in a deep jade green dress and slipping on a pair of stilettos.

She had looped her arm around his, departing with Yoongi and he reiterated to call if they needed anything. Hoseok had opened the door for them, whisking them away and wishing them a good time.

It had been a few moments since their leave.

“Alright then,” Hoseok spins around, “How much do you know about taking care of kids?”

Jungkook shrugs, “Not much, just what Yoongi hyung has told me about them.”

“Okay…” He ponders, “I’m sure it’ll be alright. They're just kids, after all.”

A huge optimistic grin surfaces on him, “How hard could it be?”

The sound of a harsh cry breaks them out of their thoughts.

They both whirl around at the same, noticing that Yoonsun was situated on the carpet of the living room, occupied with building some toy blocks. The sound comes again, this time radiating from the second bedroom.

Hoseok and Jungkook burst into Haru’s room.

The two-year-old shakes on the small bed, having observed the absence of her parents.

Hoseok scoops her up, cradling her. “There, there, Uncle Hobi is here~”

She grabs a fistful of his hair, “Ouch.”

“Maybe she’s hungry?” Jungkook suggests, turning around. Hoseok follows behind him into the kitchen, attempting to break out of the little girl's strong hold.

“The list said she can eat cut up fruits and veggies.”

“Fruits and vegetables…” Jungkook is scanning the fridge, astonishment crossing him at the way the shelves are all carefully organized, with everything having a place. “Wow.”

Hoseok chuckles, “That’s Yoongi for you.”

Haru wiggles in Hoseok’s grasp, excited fingers pointing towards the apples in one section. Jungkook laughs at her actions, taking them onto the counter.

He quickly peels one, cutting it into the small slices.

“Here comes the airplane~” He motions the apple around. Haru flails her arms around and nearly jumps out of Hoseok’s lap.

She grabs it immediately, chewing on it with puffed out cheeks.

“She’s too cute.” Hoseok states, looking down at her as if she can answer, “How did you come from Yoongi?”

“Between the two of us, I personally think she has to be all Hana.” Jungkook points out.

Hoseok chuckles, glancing around.

“Say – where’s Yoonsun?”

A frown mars Jungkook’s lips, before his eyes widen at seeing the toy blocks abandoned.

“He was right here.” He states, quickly filtering through the two bedrooms. To his dismay, he can’t find the young boy and panic starts to arise within him.

The bathroom door creaks out and Yoonsun stands outside of it, blinking at Jungkook's frantic form.

“Oh, thank god.” Jungkook holds onto his hand.

But Yoonsun stares at him with large eyes.

“Where’s Dad?”

“Your Dad went out with your Mom for a while.” He explains.

His eyes well up without warning, and before Jungkook can say anything–

Yoonsun bursts into tears.

Jungkook scrambles to hold him in his arms, attempting to rock him back and forth. But he doesn’t consider that Yoonsun is older than Haru by three years, picking up on Yoongi’s absence far more.

“Hoseok hyung.” He bursts into the kitchen, “I-I don’t know what to do.”

“Speak for yourself.” Hoseok deeply sighs.

Jungkook’s irises round, noticing Hoseok holding up the little girl in his arms with a tinged mixture of apple all over his clothes.

“Okay, I get that, but–” You huff, annoyed. “Hoseok, stop crying for one second.”

The statement earns you strange and concern glances from nearby shoppers. You wince, reminding yourself to keep your voice down.

You were situated in front of a handful of changing rooms, seated on a cushioned bench with your phone in hand.

Your day had been going good, until well, this phone call.

“You just need to clean up and wait,” You explain, “Don’t feed her right away.”

Hoseok continues to bombard you with questions, and you hear somewhat of a shriek come from the background.

“Was that Jungkook?”

“N-No!” He hurriedly responds, but then you hear a ‘I lost him again!’ and it’s a dead giveaway.

The curtains in front of you pull back and Jin emerges out, dressed in a tailored black suit. He smiles in your direction, but frowns upon noticing the hints of distress in your expression.

He points to your phone and you sigh lightly, gesturing that you’ll tell him afterwards.

Instead, he decides to draw your attention to the suit he dons, spinning around. Your mouth twists, and you shake your head, finding it far too similar to the suits he wears to work.

Glancing around, you survey the various suits and land on a particular dark blue one. Eyeing light up, you arise from your seat, placing it against him and nodding enthusiastically.

He chuckles at your reaction, heading back into the changing room.

You plop back onto your cushion, alarmed from the silence. “Hoseok?”

“Sorry, still here!” He nearly yells, cutting off your hearing, “There’s just a lot going on.”

“Will you guys be okay?” You softly question.

“We’ll be fine!” Hoseok reassures, despite you clearly hearing Jungkook’s voice in the background. “I’m going to just call Taehyung over. He loves kids!”

“Doesn’t mean he knows how to take care of them.” You retort, glancing at your watch. “Look, if I leave in a couple of minutes, I can be there soon.”

“No, no! You were supposed to go out with Jin and–”

“Tell me honestly, Hoseok.” You state, “Do you have the situation under control?”

“Well–”

“Y/N, please come over.” Jungkook’s voice blares through, and you presume he yanked the phone from Hoseok’s grasp, “Don’t listen to him, we could use the help.”

You hear Hoseok in the background let out a small ‘Hey!’ before there’s more crying and his voice disappears completely.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” Jungkook mutters a quick thank you before the line cuts off and Jin emerges from the changing room.

“Well?”

The dark blue looks incredible on him, contrasting nicely with his brown hair. It’s fancier than the previous suit, and adds a mature air around him.

“It looks nice.” You softly smile, getting up instantly.

“Looks like this one’s the winner then.” He grins, eyes glancing at the phone in your hands, “Trouble in paradise?”

You let out a drawn out sigh, a grimace crossing you.

“I might have some bad news…”

Taehyung pulls a silly face for the infinite time.

Hoseok scoffs, “I told you that’s not going to work!”

“It always does!” Taehyung protests, attempting to pull another peekaboo one – to which Haru cries even more.

Jungkook rolls his eyes, glancing at the man near the foyer who’s currently in the midst of taking off his coat and shoes.

There’s remorse in his eyes, “Sorry for dragging you into this.”

Jimin’s eyes light up and he shakes his head. “It’s okay, we were just at the movies and the film was close to its end.”

He gestures to Taehyung, who continues with his antics. Jungkook softly smiles at the thought of the two of them spending time together, musing that they’ve grown close.

“May I?” Jimin asks, gesturing to the attached boy in Jungkook's arms. Jungkook places him down and Jimin kneels, fondly smiling.

“Hi there, my name is Jimin.”

“I’m Yoonsun.” The boy stares at him, sniffling a bit, “Do you know where my Dad is?”

“He’s out right now, but I have a picture of him.” Jimin reaches for his phone, displaying a selfie he took with Yoongi at karaoke.

Yoonsun’s eyes are wide and he curiously shuffles over to Jimin, staring at the screen in fascination.

Jungkook watches in disbelief, “How did you know to…?”

“I look after my nieces often.” He mentions, bringing Yoonsun into his lap for a better view of the phone.

Jungkook nods, sitting down with them and scrolling through his phone for any pictures of Yoongi. But he pauses himself, glancing over at Hoseok struggling and Taehyung, who hadn’t been much help.

He mulls over if he should just call Yoongi and Hana at this point. It was his absolute last resort, not wanting to probe and let them enjoy their evening together.

There’s a loud knock on the door.

He gets up, eyes twinkling at the inkling of who it might possibly be. Twisting the lock, you stand before him, taking in the chaos of the home.

The apartment is a mess – belongings and different children's toys scattered everywhere. You find the two children quite swiftly, Haru being with Hoseok and Taehyung, her small eyes red as they horribly attempt to get her to smile. Jungkook and Jimin are on the ground with Yoonsun, who seems glued to a brightly lit phone in Jimin’s hands.

Every single person’s head spins at your entrance and you are thoroughly shocked.

“Y/N!” Jungkook gets up in relief and Hoseok practically tackles you.

“You came!” Hoseok screeches.

“What happened in here?”

There’s a second voice behind you, and everyone turns to see Jin step inside the home, his irises as wide as your own as he scans the area.

“Jin?” Jungkook cocks his head to the side, not quite expecting him to appear.

You shrug, “I thought it’d be helpful if we both came over.”

“Where do we even begin?” Jin ponders, shrugging off his coat and shoes instantly. You follow his gestures, not quite having an answer.

“Anywhere, honestly.” Jungkook states, letting out a deep exhale.

You take your collective belongings and set them aside. Jin proceeds to step over the toys on the ground, picking up things along the way. You observe as he scolds Taehyung at the same time, telling him to leave his things in one place rather than scattering them.

Jungkook glances at you amused from the display.

You grin, “What’d I tell you?”

You take long strides towards Haru, just as Jin gestures to Jungkook and Jimin to move over to the couch. Picking her up immediately, you carefully sway her and step into the bedroom.

Haru’s eyelids begin to flutter close, a small yawn leaving her lips.

Hoseok blinks, wondering if a miracle just occurred before him.

“How were you able to do that?!”

“I was just rocking her back and forth.” You lift her up and place her into his arms. “It’s a soothing motion that can help with sleep.”

Hoseok hums, cautiously trying to repeat what you had done. Sure enough, Haru holds onto him, another low yawn leaving her lips.

Hoseok looks up in astonishment and you smile.

“That is amazing!”

“Right?” You gesture for him to lie her down, “It was something I did often with Yuna and she would fall asleep right away.”

Hoseok nods, watching over her with a bright smile. You quietly peer out of the bedroom, noticing Yoonsun with Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung. The living room appears considerably better, with toys no longer scattered everywhere in a disarray.

You find Jin in the kitchen.

“Do you need any help?”

He turns, occupied with grabbing packets of ramen noodles from one of Yoongi's cupboards.

“Just heat up some water for me.”

You hum, moving to grab a pot. Taehyung shows up as you’re filling it up, glancing at the two of you.

“Hey, do you guys–” He freezes, gaze landing straight at you in front of the stove. “Wait, Y/N….You’re not cooking, right…?”

A nervous laugh leaves him and you swivel around with a frown. “And if I was?”

Taehyung immediately holds his stomach. “You know what? On second thought, everything here seems to be under control so maybe it’s best I go hom—”

“I’m not cooking!” You proclaim, ignoring how Jin’s attempting to stifle his laughter.

“Really?” Taehyung looks at you bright-eyed and you huff.

“Who’s not cooking?” Jungkook pokes his head in, raising a playful brow.

Taehyung chimes in. “Y/N isn’t!”

“Oh, thank god.” Jungkook whispers, but you still catch it and glare at him. “I-I mean, your cooking has such…such interesting taste–”

“Save it.” You retort, turning to Taehyung. “What did you need in the first place?”

His eyes widen, “Oh, strange request, but do either of you have pictures of Yoongi?”

Before you can say anything, Jin takes out his phone. “It depends. I have a couple I took while he was training me, but they’re mainly me trying to be cute and Yoongi being annoyed.”

Your mouth drops open. “You got pictures of him while training?”

He cheekily nods and you watch as he presents the pictures to all of you. The majority of them are of him throwing up peace signs or smiling, with Yoongi in the background either deadpanning or grimacing.

“Damn, he’s really got just one expression.” Jungkook retorts as Taehyung claps his hands in satisfaction.

“Okay! I think these can work.” Jin nods, following behind him into the living room.

You watch as he leans down to Yoonsun.

“Look,” He whispers with a grin, “It’s your Dad who loves me very much~”

A laugh escapes you as Yoonsun takes Jin’s phone in fascination.

Yoongi is as bewildered as ever.

Firstly, his wife is drunk out of her mind. Yes, she’s still able to stand and mutter coherent words here and there, but she pretends like she needs him around, latching onto his arm and not letting go. Yoongi doesn’t mind, watching over her carefully and even letting her drag him into a karaoke room after dinner, to where she proceeds to sing old cheesy romantic songs to serenade him.

She’s cute – he knows. There was a reason why he mustered up all his energy in saving up for a ring, proposing to her underneath a starry night with the cool breeze of fall after one of their many dinner dates together. Hana hadn’t skipped a beat in saying yes, taking his hand ever since that day. Their two children had been like a blessing to him and throughout all the hardships, he considers himself lucky to have her as his wife.

The second reason for his confusion…has nothing to do with his date at all. He checks his phone a couple of times, surprised to see no new messages and calls. Although he had trusted Hoseok and Jungkook with his children, he’s aware of their lack of experience with them and half-expected a frantic call at any time during the evening. But he’s greeted with no notifications.

It’s odd, but he shakes it off, wondering if he perhaps misjudged the situation. It’s true that his first instinct was to have asked you, but considering you had mentioned to him that you were looking forward to going out with Jin over the weekend, he had decided against it.

After all, who but him to understand wanting to spend time with your significant other.

He reaches the door to his house, puzzlement crossing him.

“What is it?” Hana mumbles against his shoulder, her hands still tightly wrapped around her husband’s arm.

“It’s too quiet.” He whispers, eyes darting around.

Were the kids asleep? Were Hoseok and Jungkook okay?

Putting his keys in, he twists the lock and enters with Hana.

To be fair, he wasn’t too sure what to expect at that point, but he’d be lying if he wasn’t utterly shocked.

Everything’s clean – down to the stacked laundry baskets on the side and the absence of littered toys and blankets around the living room. The kitchen’s clean too, bags of garbage long removed and a handful of dishes, including several pots and bowls, scrubbed and left to dry by the sink.

The first person he finds is Taehyung, who’s snoring loudly on his couch. Next to him sits Jimin, who’s leaning against the foot of the couch with his eyes closed.

Jin is there as well – asleep like the others, but his phone is in his hand and within his arms is Yoongi's son, whose eyes are softly shut.

He hears light footsteps, eyes widening to see you emerge out of the bedroom.

“Oh, hi.” You whisper.

“Y/N!” Hana excitedly throws herself onto you, and you quickly catch her with a warm chuckle.

“Long time no see, Hana.”

She sheepishly grins at you and Yoongi’s eyes flicker around.

“What are you doing here?” He questions, “And where’s Hoseok and Jungkook?”

“They left about an hour ago.” You bring them over to the kitchen, so as to not disturb everyone’s slumber. “They weren’t in the best condition.”

Yoongi leans against the counter, “Was it that bad?”

You grimace. “Define bad.”

He looks at you intently, “Did Hoseok cry?”

“A little–” You chuckle, “He mostly was exhausted, and left looking like he hadn’t slept in a week. Jungkook on the other hand, was okay and calmed down after eating Jin’s ramen.”

“Well, sounds like they had a fun night.” Hana snorts and Yoongi chuckles, shaking his head.

You smile and shrug, “They tried their best.”

“And you?”

“Both Taehyung and I came when Hoseok called us in panic. Jimin was with Taehyung and Jin was with me.”

“Oh, so that’s Jin?” Hana widely smirks, pointing to his sleeping form.

You grow flustered at the observation, “Yeah, that’s him.”

She has a silly smile on her lips and Yoongi slowly walks over, picking up Yoonsun from Jin’s arms.

“Dad?” He sleepily mumbles, and Yoongi grins.

“We’re back.” He whispers, “Were you being good?”

He tiredly nods and Yoongi hugs his son, softly caressing his head.

Hana warmly smiles, “Haru’s asleep by the way, it’s been a couple of hours.”

Her head spins around. “You got her to sleep?”

You hum, “I can show you what we did.”

“Thank you, Y/N.” She holds onto your hands, “We weren’t expecting you to come, but I’m glad you did.”

“Of course.” You reassure, “Thankfully, I wasn’t alone.”

She childishly grins, peeking at Jin from the corner of the eye. “You know, I do have a word of advice for you.”

You lean down and she whispers in your ear.

“With men like that, you’ve got to put a ring on it fast.”

Her words only result in a deep flush spreading across your cheeks. She mischievously laughs, directing her fond gaze over to Yoongi smiling down at Yoonsun.

49 notes · View notes

jeonsweetpea · 4 months

Text

Moonstruck (13)

Werewolf & Vampire Hybrid!AU, Supernatural!AU | Hybrid!Jungkook x Hybrid!Reader | Werewolf!Taehyung x Hybrid!Reader (ft. BTS)

genre: angst, e2l, supernatural, thriller, slow burn

rating: mature

description: A treacherous flashback unfolds. You orchestrate a plan to obtain the truth no matter the cost, ensnared in a web of betrayal and lies.

word count: 7.2k

warnings: contains SPOILERS! contains SPOILERS! Cussing, fire, battle scenes, weapons, blood/wounds (nothing too graphic), betrayals, compulsion, drowning, dark magic

a/n: It’s winter break for me so YES, I was working on this as best I could! Hi, if you find this message, I love you, I wish you nothing but happiness and health. <333 Please let me know your theories/thoughts, this series will definitely be around 15-16 chapters. So just know I am working on it!

Moonstruck Series Masterlist

Two days earlier…

After you calmed down, Yoongi told you about his original plan. Arriving at the safehouse was part of it, but he was actually in search of a rare plant. He had rummaged through Professor Seokjin’s office to see if there were any clues that would tell him where he went and sure enough, there were secret files about Blue Calamus on his computer.

Aka truth weed. Ingesting the plant would make you susceptible to speaking the truth for half an hour. Yoongi suspected that if he found the truth weed, he would find Jin too. And that meant he could help you and him find out what happened to Hoseok and his sister.

The first 24 hours were bad luck. You and Yoongi were following Jin’s footsteps, hitting up all the spots truth weed was claimed to be grown at. Unfortunately, every place turned out to be a dead end or false advertisement. After resting at a motel, the two of you accepted your defeat and ventured into the woods.

“Damn it. That town was our last hope,” Yoongi grumbled, taking a seat on a log. You took a look at the map Yoongi had brought and the glint in your eyes caught his attention. “What is it?”

“My mother’s campus is nearby… maybe she can help. I haven’t heard from her in a while.”

“Got your phone?”

“No. It wasn’t on me when Sunghyun teleported me.”

“I’ll call her.” The professor dialed her number and waited. When it finally went to voicemail, he tried again. “She’s not picking up.”

“It’s fine. Let’s just go.”

As you and Yoongi drew nearer, his phone suddenly buzzed with over 100+ messages and calls. The device was in a frenzy as notifications popped up nonstop. “HELP”, “SAVE US”, “DANGER” were the keywords you could make out and the ones responsible for the messages were three people: Seokjin, Hoseok, and your mother.

“What the hell is happening?!” Yoongi asked, swiping his thumb to open the messages and read them as fast as he could while more flooded in.

“Look, Professor Jin’s calling!”

“I see that, but my phone is glitching like crazy!” It took a few tries, but he finally managed to pick up the call.

“Get your ass over to [M/N]’s campus now! We’re being attacked!” A loud explosion could be heard in the background, alarming you and Yoongi both. He desperately called out Jin’s name, but the connection had fizzled out.

Filled with a mixture of fear and determination, you and Yoongi realized the gravity of the situation. You had to act now because that meant your mother’s safety was at stake too. And the kids. The poor, innocent kids.

With a renewed sense of urgency, you and the professor swiftly abandoned your search for truth weed and sprinted to your mother’s workplace.

The damage was far worse than anything you could’ve imagined. The combined elementary and junior high school building was crumbling to the ground, fire was spreading at a rapid rate, and gunshots were heard in the distance.

You jumped right into battle, quickly realizing the culprits weren’t human. It was a team of werewolves and vampires—the same werewolves and vampires you might’ve pissed off during the time your humanity was off.

“Ah shit…”

“Recognize us, you filthy hybrid?” one of the vampires taunted. Yoongi whipped his head to look at you.

“You know them?”

“I might’ve… tortured them when I turned off my humanity,” you admitted, offering him a sheepish grin. Yoongi pulled out his shotgun from his backpack, having half a mind to shoot you instead but restrained himself.

“I’ll cover you,” he stated in a gruff voice. You nodded and began taking them down one by one. The professor covered you as promised until you two made your way inside the burning building. A cry for help alerted you to go upstairs to the second floor and that’s when you found Hoseok and his sister fighting against a team of werewolves.

Honestly, they could hold their own pretty well. You only jumped in when you saw there was another one trying to sneak up on Dawon. She thanked you and returned the favor by saving you from a grenade. Hoseok was almost unrecognizable with how angry he was. He fought dirty, the remaining wolves clearly not a match for his ire and you remembered why he used to be alpha. However, his bright smile returned when the wolves retreated and he hugged you tightly.

“[Y/N]! You’re alive, oh my god. You don’t understand how happy I am,” He then quickly released you. “Oh man, I bet you want to kill me. I’m so sorry for what I did.”

“She’s the one who put me in a coma,” a sinister voice said. Hoseok and you glanced over at his sibling, who was pointing her gun in your direction. You waited in suspense for her next move but then she broke out into the same heart-shaped grin Hoseok had. “Just kidding~.”

She lowered her weapon and Hoseok laughed at your stunned pikachu-meme face. “You got her good!”

“What the fuck is going on?!” you exclaimed, crossing your arms at the two siblings.

“Meet my sister, Dawon.”

“I go by Jiwoo now, actually,” she replied.

“Right, we changed our identities. I still prefer Hoseok.”

“Nice to see you again,” Jiwoo states with a wave. “Thanks for not killing me.”

“Ditto…?” you said, confused beyond compare.

“Wait, we lost Professor Jin and your mom,” Hoseok said, frantically looking around. You copied his actions and realized you had lost someone too.

“Professor Min was just with me.”

Some more gunshots were heard from the rooftop of the building, so the three of you headed there. Professor Jin had set up a force field to shield him, your mother, and Professor Min while a team of vampires attacked from all sides. Once again you jumped in with zero hesitation but the added assistance of the Jung siblings ensured your victory. The enemies retreated and you all got off the burning building before the flames could engulf you all.

“What happened to my mother?” you asked worriedly. Professor Jin was carrying her limp body, which was full of bloody lacerations and bullet wounds. Everyone had been injured to some degree, but your mother received the most damage.

“She fought hard to protect her employees and students. She distracted the enemies while everyone ran. It’s our fault. We had brought them here to the school.”

“I’m fine,” your mother croaked. “Put me down, I can walk.”

“Are you joking?” you scolded. “You’re lucky to even be alive.”

“What do we do now?” Yoongi asked, watching the school building continue to burn down.

“My employees and I had an evacuation plan put in place in case this happens. There’s a secret tunnel beneath the school that leads to an underground chamber. I can heal myself there.”

The underground chamber was concealed from the outside world, shielded by layers of enchantments and natural barriers. Its interior was illuminated by soft, ethereal light emanating from glowing crystals embedded in the walls. Children’s laughter could be heard from all around and you were relieved to see everyone was okay.

Employees of your mother’s took her from Jin’s arms, immediately grabbing some healing herbs and medicinal plants that grew along the chamber’s walls. They reassured you she would be okay and that the herbs would accelerate her recovery.

Some students greeted you and you were pleasantly surprised at how welcoming they were. Considering the last time you saw them was when you had a gun in your hand, the kind gesture touched your heart. They asked if you defeated the bad guys, to which you gave them a thumbs up. It was so pure how they looked at you like you were a superhero and it reminded you of why you wanted children in the first place.

“Hey, we found a place to talk,” Jin said with a nod of his head for you to join him. You bid farewell to the kids and made your way over to the secluded area away from the crowd.

Everyone took a seat on the comfortable cushions the chamber provided, you being the last to sit in the circle. You noticed Hoseok caressing Yoongi’s face, most likely asking him about his scar. Something about the moment seemed… tender. Until Professor Min swatted his hand away, face flushed.

“We have a lot to discuss,” Jin said with a loud clap to get everyone’s attention. He pointed his pressed palms at you. “[Y/N]. I’m sure you have questions.”

“Yeah… Why are you here? With them?” You gestured to the Jung siblings and they both pointed at themselves as if there were any other Jungs around.

“When I quit my job, I went on a mission to find Blue Calamus because that would be the only way to figure out what was going on and prove to Namjoon that I didn’t orchestrate anything.”

“Why not use a truth spell? You’re a witch. You’ve done it before.”

“I felt like my magic was being tampered with. Spells always have loopholes and by then it was too late. Once I left campus, I couldn’t get back in. Something was blocking me. Like a magic that surpassed mine. I couldn’t text or call anyone on campus.”

“Same here,” Hoseok added. “I tried to message Professor Min and [Y/N], but none of the texts went through. No calls. Nothing.”

“So how did I finally get your call, Jin?” Yoongi questioned.

“I think it’s because you were within a certain radius of me. Whatever magic was being used to block our communication had limits.”

“Do you think it was Ari…?” you asked, though your tone indicated you already knew the answer.

“Most likely. She was my top student,” Jin answered. “Anyway, the hunt for Blue Calamus was nearly impossible. I spent months trying to find it and ran into many dead ends. At one point I ran into the Jungs.”

You turned your attention to Hoseok and he cleared his voice in preparation to speak.

“After I… did what I did to you…” he started to say hesitantly. “I got to the hospital and rescued my sister. We fled town and went to our parents’ safe house to find out they had been murdered.”

He waited for a reaction from you, but you simply said nothing.

“You know?”

“Professor Min and I discovered their bodies yesterday. I’m sorry about your loss. Do you know who killed them?”

“I’m sure we all know who it is.” The whole group gave each other a knowing glance, so Hoseok continued, “Jiwoo got a text saying we deserved it because I tried to warn you about a mole.”

“Jimin…” you muttered.

“Not just Jimin. He’s not working alone. Someone else contacted my sister and family first.”

“Who’s that?”

Jiwoo intervened, “Months ago I was spying on your campus to get more information about Jungkook, so we could kill him. Needless to say, I was spotted. He told me he wanted Jungkook dead too, so we formed an alliance to attack you all on patrol. I described the guy’s face to my brother after I woke up from the coma.”

You anticipated her answer with bated breath.

“... Kim Taehyung. He’s the other person working with Jimin.”

“Oh my god… Tae wanted Jungkook dead? Tae started this… with Jimin? This is insane,” you said, clenching your fists. Your emotions were in flux because even if it was an obsession, Taehyung never failed to profess his love for you. Killing Jungkook was one thing, but he’d never ask for you to be killed. Would he?

Did he place that listening device to spy on you for Jimin?

Your gaze fell onto Hoseok and he sighed, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He could tell you were dying to ask the burning question by your conflicted expression. “Ask me. I’ll tell you everything.”

“Why did you kill me? Did Tae… did he force you to do it?”

“Taehyung, Jimin, doesn’t matter. They were blackmailing me. Jiwoo had been compelled to kill herself if she ever met you. I couldn’t let that happen.”

You raised a brow at this revelation. “Um… I met her,” You engaged in a rapid back-and-forth motion, alternately gesturing towards her and then towards yourself. “How is she alive?”

“I removed the compulsion with a spell,” Jin explained.

“Hurt like a bitch,” Jiwoo mumbled.

“Okay… How’d you escape your cage in the first place?” you asked Hoseok.

“Someone messed with my food. It made me hallucinate, get angry—I wasn’t thinking straight. It made me strong too. Enough to break out.”

You shot an accusatory look at Professor Min, but Hoseok intervened. “Yoongi didn’t do anything.”

He called him Yoongi…

“And how do you know?”

“Because I didn’t see who brought me my food. I woke up and it was already there. After eating it, it felt like all my negative emotions took control of my body.”

You glanced over at the kids playing on the other side of the chamber, thinking about how you’ll never be able to have one of your own. Hoseok followed your gaze, pained by your crestfallen eyes. “I am truly, truly sorry. I know I can never make it up to you.”

“It’s fine,” you said curtly. “Continue. What happened once you found your parents?”

“We heard gunshots and fled. Didn’t even have enough time to bury them either. It was like whoever was threatening us didn’t want us to. I took Jiwoo to a new town far away, changed our names, and moved on.”

“Until Seokjin came,” Jiwoo informed. “He convinced us to join him in finding the truth weed. Hobi was against it, but I had to know who killed our parents before exacting revenge..”

“Why would he be against it?”

“He didn’t want anything to happen to me.”

Of course. Anything for his sister.

“But that’s when we got ambushed by supernaturals,” Jin said, “The same ones that attacked your mom’s school. They chased us all the way there, but we were so desperate for help and didn’t think about the consequences. We’re sorry, [Y/N]. It’s our fault.”

It’s mine. I pissed them off. They wanted revenge. They must’ve known I was associated with the three of them.

“It’s not. It’s my fault.” Your confession earned you the spotlight. “A lot happened on campus while you were gone, professor. I turned my humanity off. Tortured some supernaturals for kicks. Clearly they wanted revenge. I’m sorry.”

“None of us blame you,” Hoseok stated in a grave voice. “During our battles, one of them said they were paid by someone to do it. There’s a good chance they were the same ones who ran us out of the safehouse too.” You wondered if he was comforting you merely due to his guilt.

“It’s your turn. What’s going on back on campus? How’d you get that scar?” Jin asked Yoongi.

“Excuse me," a sweet, high-pitched voice said kindly. You all turned to see Sarang, the 8-year old vampire girl you remembered being enamored with when your mother took the students on the field trip to BTSU. “Ms. [Y/N]? Your mom wants to see you.”

You got out of your criss-cross sitting position and stood up, following the little girl to another part of the chamber where greenery was abundant. Your mother was tending to one of the flowers, so you grabbed a nearby watering can to help her after thanking Sarang. The little girl ran off to play with her friends, delighted to be of use.

“You always did have a green thumb,” you started to say as you poured water on another flower. Your mother smiled at the comment and you two took a while to water plants in comforting silence. But of course that didn’t last long because as most mothers do, yours started to nag you about how you were doing it all wrong. She couldn’t help but correct you on how much to water, why not to water too much, blah, blah blah.

“If you get even an extra drop on that one, it’ll die,” she warned, pointing to an odd, fuzzy plant. “Let me do it.”

“You recover fast,” you noted as you got out of her way. “What is all this, Mom?”

“Well, a few years ago I started growing some special plants and herbs in case there was an emergency. Your father was exceptionally great at it and well, since he hasn’t returned yet, I kept it alive and well. It’s our garden.”

The moonstone of your necklace flickered. “I miss him.”

“I miss him too.” She tended to the last plant and set the watering can down. It was then she gave you a hug, which you reciprocated. “I miss you more.”

“I know, Mom.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope you will tell me,” She patted your back. “I want to help you however I can.”

You stopped hugging her to look her right in the eyes. “Do you happen to have Blue Calamus? It’s known to have a strong minty taste.”

Two hours before the present…

Thanks to your mother and Professor Jin’s expertise, you and your team not only had an adequate supply of truth weed but also tranquilizers. One spell later and the plants from your mother’s garden transformed to a serum that was easy to weaponize. You opted for blow darts while the rest of while everyone else chose syringes.

With time dwindling, you all agreed on a plan and knew there was only one chance to get it right.

First, Yoongi took a vial of your blood back to campus while you, Jin, Hoseok, and Jiwoo were on standby in the forest. The Flame of Imprisonment prevented supernaturals from entering, so he had to convince Namjoon to blow out the candle.

Once that was done, you and your team snuck and took out any stragglers who weren’t in the cellar. Jin and the Jung siblings decided to split up to cover more ground on campus. Few minutes later, Jiwoo cried out that she had spotted Jungkook and Sunghyun coming out of the girls’ dorm rooms, so Hoseok bolted in that direction.

The two siblings were relentless in their chase, firing rounds in an attempt to subdue them. Despite their efforts, the boys evaded every bullet, leaving the Jungs frustrated and desperate. Closing in for the crucial injection with the serum seemed an impossible task.

In the midst of the chase, Professor Jin, quick-witted and determined, joined the pursuit. Using his unique abilities, he materialized in front of Sunghyun, injecting him with the serum before he could react.

Meanwhile, Jungkook, fear etched across his face, edged backwards away from the trio, seeking an escape from the chaotic scene. The amulet nestled in his pocket began to glow and in an instant, he disappeared.

“[Y/N],” Professor Jin’s voice rang urgently in your ears. The magical earpieces he conjured up were quite useful. “We got Sunghyun, but Jungkook vanished. He must’ve teleported somewhere.”

“I think I know where he is. I’ll meet you guys in the cellar.”

You switched off the earpiece, exhaling deeply as you ventured through the mountain tunnel. The sire bond had undeniably weakened, yet a subtle tingling sensation persisted whenever Jungkook was near. Upon pinpointing his teleportation, you swiftly made your way to Namjoon's office, where you secured the spare keys.

Standing before the familiar, imposing door, you unlocked it and continued walking until you reached the iron gate entrance. Each step you took weighed down your heart, the haunting echoes of Jungkook’s hurtful words ringing in your ears.

Murderer.

So spiteful. So heartless. So… cruel. You could only come up with one conclusion and that’s why your role in the plan was so painful.

“Who’s there?”

He doesn’t sense me. The sire bond…

As you drew near, your eyes met Jungkook’s for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Your heart wavered between relief and resentment, torn between the conflicting emotions. The gate that stood between you and him was a tangible barrier that reflected the emotional chasm grown between you two.

Jungkook’s eyes lit up with a mixture of joy and anguish. He had longed to see you again, to know you were safe and unharmed. But as he looked into your eyes, he could sense the pain and betrayal emanating from you. It was a blow to his heart, a realization that the connection you two shared had been severed.

“[Y/N]...” His voice trembled with the weight of unspoken apologies and the desperate hope for understanding. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Not another word,” you said, voice strained with a mixture of anguish and disappointment. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

His voice contorted with remorse, regret etched deeply into his features. “N-No… no please.”

He ran up to the gate and was about to unlock it when you snarled at his actions. His head snapped up to see your goldenrod irises and sharp canines ready to tear him to shreds.

“Get back,” you growled. He obeyed and took a step back while showing you what was in his hand.

“It’s Ari’s notebook. I read everything. You were right about everything.”

“I don’t care!” you shouted, banging your fist on the gate. “Nothing in that book matters anymore. You didn’t believe me…” Your body slumped to the ground, defeated.

“You didn’t believe me…” you repeated, softer and more broken than the first time. Jungkook dropped to his knees, holding onto the bars of the gate and resting his forehead against it in an attempt to be closer to you. He shut his eyes and fought back his tears.

“I know. I’m so sorry…” Your eyes were lifeless, devoid of love and joy. You were staring past him like he didn’t exist and that pained him the most.

“You didn’t trust me…”

“I made a terrible mistake. Please,” he pleaded, reaching his hand through the bar to grab yours. You yanked it away, still refusing to look at him.

“Maybe… you don’t love me the same way I love you.”

He shook his head furiously. “No. No. That is not true. Don’t say that.”

“The Jungkook I knew… he would’ve believed me. That means you’re being influenced by something,” Your eyes shifted to meet his, determined and angry. “Or someone.”

You clenched your fist around your blow gun and pointed it at your lover. He was mortified and begged you to stop, but it was too late. You shot it right into his neck, causing him to fall to the ground. You stood up, unlocked the gate, and threw him over your shoulder like he weighed nothing. As you carried him to where the cellar was, you saw your team in the distance heading down the steps.

The plan was almost done. Just one more step. One that you thought of on your own as soon as you heard about the truth weed.

*Hss*

First to fall was Professor Jin. Professor Min was pissed as expected.

So he was next.

*Hss*

Then Hoseok and Jiwoo.

*Hss*

You didn’t understand why the cellar door was propped open, so you removed the stone and stepped inside. Taehyung perked up upon seeing you, the pure joy on his face quite endearing.

“Hi Tae.”

*Hss*

Plan complete.

In the present…

First to wake up was Jungkook, who felt something heavy around his wrists when he tried to move them. The clinking sounds alerted him of his confinement with two other prisoners.

“Sunghyun! Wake up!” he said, shaking the vampire next to him. Sunghyun groaned and slowly pushed himself up out of his position of laying on his stomach to sit crisscross.

“What’s going on?”

“Wake Taehyung up next to you.” The vampire obeyed and shook the werewolf by the shoulders. Taehyung opened one eye while ruffling his hair, immediately seeing the shackles and realizing his predicament.

“The fuck? Hey. Hey!” He shook the shackles violently, as if they would come off from the act alone. “What’s going on?!”

The noise woke up the others. In the cage next to theirs were Jimin, Yoongi, and Namjoon; Next cage had Jin with the Jung siblings; Last cage contained Ari, who for some reason was still unconscious . They all shared the same looks of betrayal and confusion until you cleared your throat loudly, standing in front of them all.

“Took you all long enough,” you sneered.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Professor Jin asked as he slowly stood up. His attempts at a spell to break out were futile and you let out a chuckle when his frustrated expressions gave him away.

“Magic dampening cuffs,” you informed him. “No one’s leaving.”

“Why are we here? I thought we were working together!” Yoongi exclaimed, sending you a glare that could kill.

“We were. But I don’t trust anyone anymore. And now that you’ve all been exposed to truth weed, I’m going to be asking the questions now.”

The look of shock spread across everyone’s faces was pure satisfaction. Now they’ll finally get a taste of what it’s like to be fooled.

“My first question: What is something you’re hiding from me that you’re guilty of?”

Truth be told, no one knew the full extent of the truth weed’s effects aside from it lasting half an hour. Good thing you had all the time in the world to figure it out, though you didn’t really know what to expect. Taehyung was the first to answer.

“I bite my nails even though you told me to stop.”

Everyone stared at him and he slapped his mouth shut with his hand.

“I’m afraid of microwaves,” Jungkook revealed. The attention diverted to him now, who cursed and turned his back towards you, face flushed. You’re gonna have to dig more into that later.

“I practice arguments in the shower,” Sunghyun said.

“I sleep naked,” Yoongi confessed.

“I hate mint chocolate ice cream,” Namjoon added. That caused a rise in some, surprisingly enough.

“I’ve seen Taehyung in his underwear. It was red,” Jimin informed.

“I can’t handle alcohol well,” Hoseok said while blushing.

“I’m the only 10 in this room,” Jin bragged. “You’re all 8’s.”

“I was going to give you 30% of my profits when I published my novel,” Sunghyun said. You raised an eyebrow at this because you deserve at least 80% for your troubles.

“Part of me still wants to kill you, but I’m trying to get over it,” Jiwoo said nonchalantly. The silence in the room was deafening and you shook your head quickly to snap out of your trance from these… discoveries. Maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as you thought.

“Okay, this is not what I was expecting,” you said, rubbing your chin in thought. “What is something you’ve done to hurt me physically or mentally?”

“I recorded our sessions,” Jin said, but you waved him off with your hand.

“I know that already.”

“I wrote about your life story because it was more interesting than my own,” Sunghyun replied.

“I know that already,” you repeated.

“I killed you,” Hoseok said, apologizing once more after.

“I know that already too…” you said through gritted teeth.

“I hurt you in our last battle,” Jiwoo said with a bright smile while looking up at the ceiling like she was reminiscing. “Got some good hits in before you, uh, put me in a coma.”

“This is ridiculous,” you muttered while facepalming yourself.

“I kissed Jungkook.”

In an instant, your eyes darted towards Jimin, who leaned casually against the wall with a devilish smirk, one foot casually propped up. He seemed to revel in the revelation, a silent observer of the unfolding drama. The weight of his gaze bore into you as you redirected your attention to Jungkook, whose big, round eyes betrayed his emotions.

Jungkook attempted to cover his mouth, a futile effort to suppress what came next, but his admission slipped through the cracks.

"And I felt something," he confessed, the words piercing through you like a dagger to the heart. "B-But not anymore!" The added assurance seemed almost laughable; the damage was done, irreversible.

Before you could process this devastating revelation, muffled sounds emanated from Yoongi. He, too, covered his mouth with both hands, going to extremes by biting the collar of his shirt in a desperate attempt to stifle his own words.

Namjoon and Jimin teamed up to pin one of Yoongi’s arms down by his side, coercing him to speak.

“I was the one who released Hoseok from his cage,” Yoongi finally admitted.

“Oh dear god…” you gasped, clutching your chest. Everything suddenly felt constrained, tight enough to explode. “Why…?”

“... Because I love him. I didn’t know he was going to hurt you. I promise.”

“I put a bug in your wolf plush,” Taehyung confessed without any remorse. You knew this fact to be true for a while now, but it still stung to hear him confirm it.

“I… I…” Namjoon kept uttering small sounds, but no words were formed. Then, without warning, he turned to face the wall, standing still for a moment before repeatedly smashing his head against the concrete. Blood quickly trickled down his face, and you shouted for him to stop.

Yoongi, in a desperate attempt to intervene, positioned himself between Namjoon and the wall.

“Namjoon! Don’t do this!” he pleaded, pushing him back in a desperate attempt to stop the violence.

Smash. Smash. Smash.

Jimin stood idly by, an eerie calmness in his demeanor as chaos erupted around him. Everyone was shouting over each other, quickly falling into a panicked state.

“Why is he doing this?! Stop it!!!” you cried, holding onto the sides of your head in distress.

A sinister grin played on Jimin's lips as he casually revealed his role in the unfolding mayhem.

“Because I compelled him,” he said, throwing his head back in a chilling cackle. He got off the wall he was leaning on to approach the bars of the cage closer to you. “Couldn’t have him spill the secrets too soon. Spoils the surprise.”

Wham. Wham. Wham.

“Make it stop! Make him stop!”

Namjoon’s entire face was covered in blood at this point. His nose broken, skull fractured, but he continued to mindlessly bang his head against the hard concrete like a robot devoid of pain.

“Alright, Namjoon. That’s enough,” Jimin ordered with a snap of his fingers. Namjoon ceased his actions right away and Yoongi’s quick reflexes caught his limp body.

“You bastard…” Yoongi said, seething with rage. Jimin seized Namjoon from Yoongi’s grasp and held the unconscious professor in a merciless headlock.

“I’m starving… dying takes a lot out of you.” His red-blood sclera and protruding veins sent shivers down Yoongi’s spine, prompting him to take a step back. He frantically patted down his body, realizing his lack of weaponry—you had removed everyone’s arms during your tranquilizing sweep. Jimin grinned devilishly, exhibiting his fangs for everyone to see. Everyone begged him to stop, but your voice resonated the loudest.

“Stop!!! Why are you doing this?!” you yelled. Jimin retracted his fangs and tilted his head at you in amusement.

“Because of you. And your mom. And Jungkook. You just had to be born and ruin everything. You shouldn’t even exist, you damn filthy hybrid.”

The ones who attacked us at mom’s school said the same thing.

“ You sent those supernaturals to attack us. To follow Jin, Hoseok, and Jiwoo to my mom’s school.”

He nodded, the joyful giggle he let out a stark contrast to his true nature. Your fists clenched in response.

“... You killed Hoseok’s parents. Didn’t you?”

“I mean, yeah, I ordered for them to be killed.”

“Ordered who?”

“Someone close to you. They’re actually blood-related to you, believe it or not.”

“Tell me their names.”

“The Supernatural Threat Response and Investigation Division of Enforcement.”

“Who, S.T.R.I.D.E? The fake as hell detective agency? Professor Min found that out pretty quick. What do you want?”

“For you to die. You’re the reason why my life has been hell. Your mother left me and then when I finally moved on, you just had to go after Jungkook.”

“You promised me she wouldn’t die. That wasn’t part of the deal!” Taehyung shouted.

“What deal?” you questioned.

“I bit Jimin to hide his stupid flower tattoo and he promised me he wouldn’t kill you.”

“You did what?!”

“Hey, I’m keeping my promise. Ari, darling…” Jimin said in a low voice. You glanced over to your best friend, who was still asleep on her cot. “Wake up.”

Her eyes snapped open, widening as if possessed. She rose abruptly, turning her head without moving her entire body like a creepy doll. Her lips curled into a bone-chilling grin.

“I didn’t say I was going to kill her,” Jimin quipped. You watched as she effortlessly tore through the magic-dampening cuffs, a black aura emanating from her body.

“[Y/N] RUN!” Jungkook and Taehyung urged.

“She’s been consumed by dark magic! That’s not Ari anymore!” Jin added.

You were already racing to the keypad, inputting the passcode at lightning speed. However, the door wouldn’t budge. A frustrated curse left your lips as you frantically tried again only to meet the same fate.

"The password changed!" Yoongi's voice rang out, a moment too late. Your finger had already pressed the enter key, and a surge of electricity coursed through your body at the failed third attempt. An agonizing scream escaped your lips as you crumpled to the ground, back arching in pain, fingers twitching involuntarily.

As you lay there, vulnerable and writhing, Jimin's menacing face appeared above you, a Cheshire grin etched on his lips. The infuriating expression only fueled your desire to see him pay. Ari, wearing a mask of faux pity, also looked down at you, and in your agony, you found yourself pleading with her for assistance.

“Ari… I don’t care about the dark magic… I know you’re strong enough to beat it. Don’t do this.”

“Aw, she thinks you still care about her,” Jimin teased with a pout. He swung an arm around her shoulder, laughter echoing in the tense air. “Sorry, but your bestie is loyal to me. Thanks for getting me out of the cage, love.”

“Anything for you,” Ari replied, her lips now a dark black.

Electricity was nothing. You’d heal in a few minutes; you just had to stall for time.

“Why are you loyal to him? He doesn’t love you. He loves Jungkook.”

A flicker of vulnerability crossed Ari's face, a brief shift from the facade of evil to a moment of crestfallen realization. It’s possible to get through to her, you knew it.

“Do you really want to live your life as second best to this motherfucker?” you asked, not breaking eye contact with her. “He’s using you. He’s never loved you at all. This is madness!”

Jimin huffed and stomped down on your abdominals, crushing your ribs with a loud crack.

“Did I say you could fucking speak?” he spat, voice laced with venom. You laid there groaning and holding your stomach, the pain radiating through your body.

Just then, the cellar door swung open, revealing two unfamiliar figures who peered down at you. They bore the appearance of an elderly couple in their sixties, their gray hair and modest attire suggesting a quiet, unassuming life. Yet, the scent of your mother's perfume wafted into your nostrils.

Coincidence? Couldn’t be. Everything has been carefully calculated since the beginning. Who were these people?

“What the hell are you doing?” the old woman asked Jimin, hands on her hips in disapproval. “She’s down. Let’s just kill her.”

“Yeah, or else this would’ve been all for nothing. Where’s the White Oak Stake?” the old man pressed.

“Calm down, gramps. My lady here has it stashed in a safe place,” Jimin said, gesturing with the nod of his head at Ari. The old man placed his hand out palm up, demanding for the item.

“Well? Give it here.” Ari rolled her eyes in response. “Hey. Haven’t you learned how to respect your elders?”

“And haven’t you ever heard of hand cream you wrinkled piece of—”

“Watch your mouth!”

The old woman put her hand on her husband’s shoulder before things could escalate. “Now, now. We’re a team. Give the vampire some credit. I mean, having him compel his own professor to deceive his parents and gain the key to the armory was genius. We owe him our thanks for the stake.”

“That’ll teach them to cut me off,” Jimin said and they all erupted in laughter.

He was cut off? The blood bags… he drank the Jungs’ blood and then tricked me into doing the same. Fuck him!

You may not have been operating at 100% capacity, but you weren’t sticking around to find out what these people’s intentions were. Slowly, your hand delved into your pocket, fingers searching for anything of use. A smooth surface met your touch, and you pulled it out with a mix of hope and desperation.

Sunghyun’s amulet. You looted it from Jungkook earlier when he was unconscious. The thought raced through your mind—could it siphon the hybrid magic out of you and save you?

Ari, ever watchful, caught wind of your furtive actions. Before she could unleash her formidable powers and reduce you to nothingness, you unleashed a blinding burst of energy. The brilliance of the white blast momentarily blinded everyone in the room, providing you with the cover you needed to slip away.

"She's gone!" cried the old woman.

"Go get her!" barked the old man. Jimin's eyes narrowed in determination as he harnessed his supernatural speed to track you down. In the same instant, Ari's eyes transformed into pools of pitch black, racing at lightning speed to pinpoint your elusive whereabouts.

The bitter night air greeted you as you burst into the open, the moon casting an ethereal glow on the snow-covered landscape. Your surroundings blurred as you stumbled forward, guided only by the instinct to put as much distance as possible between yourself and the conspirators who sought your demise.

The frozen lake loomed ahead, its icy surface reflecting the silent chaos that unfolded around you. Your breaths came in ragged gasps as you approached the edge, the lake standing as both a barrier and a potential escape route.

As you hesitated on the brink, unsure of your next move, Jimin caught up, his eyes ablaze with determination. Sensing the urgency, he lunged at you, aiming to thwart your escape. In the ensuing struggle, the amulet slipped from your grasp and landed on the frozen lake, its glow momentarily illuminating the icy surface.

Before you could react, he seized you by the shoulders, his grip like vices on your flesh. He forced you to the ground with a ruthless strength that left you breathless.

"You're pitiful," Jimin hissed, his voice dripping with contempt. "Your existence is an aberration, an insult to the natural order."

You struggled against his hold, your eyes narrowing with defiance. "You won't break me, Jimin. I won't let you."

Jimin's lips curled into a cruel smile as he pressed you harder against the cold ground. "You think your defiance matters? You're a mistake, an anomaly. The world would be better off without you."

He leaned in, his face inches from yours, his eyes drilling into yours with a toxic mixture of hatred and twisted desire. "Jungkook chose you because of a bond that's not even real. Once I end you, he'll see the truth. You're nothing, [Y/N].”

Your breath caught in her throat as she felt the weight of his words. Jimin continued his verbal assault, each word a venomous arrow aimed at your core. "You cling to the illusion of love, a love built on a lie. I'll free Jungkook from this illusion. Free him from the burden of your existence."

Before you could respond, the world shifted. The ground gave way beneath you two, and in a sudden, chaotic descent, y’all tumbled into the icy abyss of the frozen lake. The air turned to a piercing chill, and the echoes of Jimin's menacing words faded into the murky depths.

The amulet plunged into the suffocating embrace of the water as well, its dim glow your only hope. You made a desperate attempt to swim towards it, reaching out in the hope of grasping salvation, but Jimin moved with unnatural swiftness. Underwater, he seized your neck and snapped it with a cold finality. He abandoned your unconscious form, lost in the icy currents, desperately searching for the surface.

Jimin wouldn’t have survived if not for Ari. She lifted him from the ice, water dripping from his sputtering form. He flashed her a bright smile and triumphantly shouted, “I killed her!”

“Temporarily. She’ll come back,” Ari responded calmly.

“I know, but it still felt good. Thanks for pulling me up.” Jimin expected to be set down on solid ground, but Ari defied his expectation, keeping him suspended in the air. “You can put me down now.”

Ari's gaze, however, remained unwavering. “Was [Y/N] telling the truth?”

Jimin scoffed. “What truth—about Jungkook? Sweetheart, you knew this already.”

Ari persisted, her tone cutting through the icy air. “Not him. About you not loving me… at all.”

Jimin's confident facade wavered, but he quickly masked it with a dismissive smirk. “That's ridiculous.”

“Do you love me?” she pressed, her voice steady but demanding an answer.

Jimin winced, the truth serum coursing through his veins amplifying the pain of his conflicted emotions. He tried to evade her question, his words stumbling over the raw honesty he couldn't suppress. "Ari, it's not that simple. You know my priorities—"

Ari's frustration erupted in a surge of magical energy, causing Jimin to flinch. "Answer the damn question.”

Jimin's gaze faltered, and he swallowed hard, the weight of the truth serum pushing him to the brink of revelation. "Ari, I... I care for you.”

Ari's expression hardened, a mixture of disappointment and anger etched across her features. "Care for me? Did you ever love me?”

He no longer could suppress the truth. “Not in the way you want me to.”

Ari's features tightened as the reality of his confession settled in. The revelation was a bitter pill, the taste of betrayal lingering in the cold air between them. She took a step back, her gaze now devoid of the vulnerability she had revealed moments before. "I see..."

The magical bonds that had kept Jimin suspended in the air wavered. With a swift motion, Ari withdrew her support, letting Jimin plummet back into the icy lake from which he had been rescued moments ago.

*Splash!*

“Perhaps you need some time to rethink your answer. I hope as the water fills your lungs until you suffocate and die over and over again will help you come to your senses. Now…”

Ari extended her hand over the frozen lake, fingers tracing a glowing pattern in the air. Chanting softly, she summoned magical currents that shimmered across the icy surface. With a decisive motion, she pointed her fingers downward.

A radiant stream of magic flowed towards the submerged you. The water yielded to Ari's spell, parting to reveal your unconscious form. Her magic cradled you, forming a protective cocoon that shielded you from the freezing depths.

As you emerged from the water, Ari delicately guided you to the surface.

“It’s time for you to meet your grandparents, bestie.”

I hope you enjoyed it!!! Leave me your theories/thoughts anytime. Thank you :)

#bts #bts fanfic #jungkook fic #jungkook x reader #jungkook series #bangtan #moonstruck #my scenarios

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