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shina913 · 2 years

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The Boyfriend Experience | JJK

The Boyfriend Experience: Jungkook

The BFE: Masterlist

Pairing: Escort!Jungkook x Fem!Reader

Rating: M

Genre: Fake!dating; fluff; light angst; SFW (generally)

Warnings: Sexually suggestive conversations and tones; cussing; alcohol consumption; boyfriend-for-hire; some kissing; JK is very touchy here

Word count: 9,355 words

Summary: 💬 He’s a confident man who takes pride in his appearance, but also in how he treats other people. He loves to have a good time, but still holds strong values on being respectful and well-mannered. Chivalry is not dead!

A/N: Ackk--okay so...I didn't mean for this to be super long but it just worked out that way! I really wanted a sweet, encouraging, JJK story. I'm also projecting a bit because...I'm a little frustrated at my job. Anyway, I hope you'll like it. It's smut-free but I hope you'll still find it endearing?😬 I do love how the boys are encouraging to fans, especially on their social media posts and such so I wanted to highlight that a bit here. I still added hints of thirst...because I'm me. 🤷‍♀️

A/N2: Thank you to my sis @internetjunkdrawer for beta'ing and being so supportive even as I kept switching up this story for the Nth time.

A/N3: If you want to read about JK and all of his sexy glory, there's always Coquet 😘

A/N4: LMK if you catch a couple of easter eggs here!

‼️IMPORTANT: Although the narration will include Jungkook's name, OC/Reader will not address him as so because she booked him under an assumed alias. Weird, I know but--let's just go with it 😉

You were proud to be a self-made woman. You had a steady corporate job, an actual retirement fund, and a decent apartment with a bedroom and a kitchen. You didn’t have any responsibilities other than your bills and yourself.

Things could always be worse, you thought. On the other hand, things could be better.

You valued your independence. You wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. But you couldn’t deny that you had some days when you would feel pressure to lock things down with a partner or significant other.

The company you worked at was not only headed by predominantly male staff but the two women who were in upper management positions were married and had children.

Although you had a great track record, you’ve been stuck in the highest mid-level position for a few years. Recently, you’ve helped bring in new contracts, additional revenue; not to mention that all of those clients raved about you.

You’ve worked very hard and were fully expecting a promotion before the end of the year. You knew it had to be in the bag!

Today, you had a scheduled lunch date with your former coworker, Miri Jang, whom you haven’t seen since she left the company. You talked about coming so close to making it to senior account manager in the last couple years but for some reason, kept falling short.

“I think it’s my time, Miri. It should be,” you remarked.

“Not to burst your bubble, YN but don’t hold your breath,” Miri responded cynically.

You laughed. “Are you kidding me? I had the best performance this last quarter and the one before that! I could totally represent the company in front of big-name clients!”

She gave you a deadpan look. “To be the face of the company, you have to be relatable.”

Your eyebrows creased in confusion. “What the fuck does that mean?”

Miri inhaled sharply. “I was told once, ‘We need to foster a warm, welcoming environment to attract more lucrative clients to partner with’.”

“My clients like me just fine,” you retorted. “I haven’t heard otherwise!”

“Riiight…But at the end of the day, it’s a…” she gestured air-quotations with her hands, “‘Family-run company’, YN. They think that single employees are more likely to switch jobs more frequently because they see them as people who don’t believe in long-term commitments. But if you had a family? There’s a bit more incentive there,” she explains.

Much to your own family’s chagrin, you were unapologetically single. They think that if you aren't well on your way to being a wife or a mother by a specific age, there must be something wrong with you. And if you aren't looking for a partner, your parents would take matters into their own hands and arrange one for you.

You’re beautiful, smart, and have a great personality so…why aren’t you married or in a committed relationship?

Your biological clock is ticking!

It all gets very old and stale after some time.

You give her a quizzical look then shake your head in denial. “That doesn’t seem to add up.” You were unconvinced that your singlehood was an obstacle. If anything, you have more leeway to put in time and effort since you don’t have any other commitments other than your job!

“So you’re telling me that I need to be married or have children to secure this promotion?” You were incredulous.

Your former colleague threw her head back in laughter. “Of course not! At least, they can’t legally ask you to do that. They’re simply saying that being in a committed relationship or having a family helps with relatability,” she leered.

Come to think of it, most people from your cohort who were recently promoted were married and/or had children. Still–that can’t be legal, could it?

“If you ever want to take your talents elsewhere, my company has openings. We can definitely use someone like you on our team. Child-bearing hips not required,” she smiled and winked at you.

You went back to your office after that lunch date with your ego slightly deflated.

So you needed somebody in your life…to show that you were committed to your job? It sounded like bullshit and a small part of you wanted to prove Miri wrong.

The company’s year-end celebration was coming up. You initially planned on going alone, per usual. But with your recent discovery, you now needed a contingency plan. This event not only invited existing clients but it was also a huge networking opportunity.

It wasn’t like you didn’t try to bring a date to any of these company events. It’s just that there weren’t any good candidates for you. You weren’t dating anyone seriously–at least, not serious enough to bring them to company or family functions.

The only friends that you have were either unavailable or uninterested in accompanying you to the year-end party.

Until…you had a stroke of genius: hire someone to pose as your significant other for the evening.

Sure, you could have gone on dating apps or picked someone up at a bar–but those options might prove to be too complicated. If you were going to take a risk, you’d rather it be a calculated one.

******

“Do we have to have sex?” You ask Jungkook point-blank. He is an escort…and while that was usually on the table, it wasn’t what you were hiring him for.

“No.” He says simply. “This is why we have conversations like this. We need to come to an agreement about what you need or what you want.” He paused to regard you intently. He narrowed his eyes slightly, zeroing in on you. With one look, he escalated the temperature from warm to white-hot…just like that.

Geez, YN. Control yourself. Focus!

Downloading the app and creating your profile was easy. But getting your foot in the door–that was a whole other story. You had to sign an NDA before you could even gain access to this backroom speakeasy.

It was an exclusive club. One where you needed to be referred to by a current member. You got the idea from one of your high-value clients–with lots of disposable income and a frequent patron.

But even with the referral, not everyone is accepted that easily. You’d have to pass a background check and a health check, for your safety and the escorts’.

And my god! Once you were in, it was like being in a candy store. You could browse the app and explore escort profiles–which are recommended by compatibility based on your preliminary intake. Each profile had a photo and contained brief bios, personal interests, and ‘specialties’. It made you slightly uneasy, but this was better than getting a friend to do this for you. At least these guys were professionals.

On the app, you can schedule a ‘mini-date’ with an escort of your choosing. You would meet them at the secret club room–which was housed in the back of a high-end restaurant. Very unassuming, you thought, but it was an ingenious cover story.

This backroom had mood lighting illuminating the space. It was darker, quieter, more intimate. Each escort was on a mini-date, which was mostly one-on-one. You spotted a woman talking to two males. Either she was being greedy or she was having trouble deciding.

One of them looked sweet–he was touchy but not in a creepy way. He had a cute crinkle in his eye whenever he smiled. The other was soft-spoken but had a look so intense that you could swear it made any woman’s panties drop upon eye contact.

You could see her dilemma—they both looked very desirable. But poly-dates were not allowed in this club. To get the most out of your experience, you can only book one. That was a shame.

But it didn’t really matter since you were completely happy with your choice.

His photo and profile intrigued you. Of course, that wasn’t his real name. None of them used their real names–which was fine. Unfortunately, you had to use your real name since you’d have to take him out in public.

Unlike those dating apps you’ve perused a while back, the photos on this app were as close as you could get to the real thing. They were meant to whet your appetite–which was a great marketing tool because you certainly bought it. And now here he was…in the flesh. He seriously looked Photoshopped. How was that possible?

And he smelled like heaven. No, not one of those annoying woodsy-floral notes that seems to be popular amongst the smarmy senior account managers at your office. His scent was warm and spicy with subtle hints of citrus. It was more intoxicating than the glass of prosecco that you had in front of you.

You rubbed your already-crimson earlobe then cleared your throat to compose yourself again.

“Uhm, so, I guess you’ve read my profile on the app and my comments about what I need out of this experience?”

He hummed in agreement. “Yes, I read your notes.”

“Okay, great! In so many words, I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for a work function,” you stated.

“Sounds simple enough–”

“I’m not done,” you respond curtly, making his eyebrows lift in surprise.

You softened the edge in your voice. “I apologize. I’m just a little tense, that’s all. I just…really need my plan to work and–”

“Hey, that’s what I’m here for.” Something about the look in his eyes offered assurance and it placated you.“I’m here to help you. And I apologize for interrupting you as well. Please, continue,” he urges.

“I’m trying to get in good with the senior partners at my firm. I’m done waiting for this promotion that should have already happened last year. Which is why…I’m taking matters into my own hands.” You couldn’t hide the bitterness in your tone.

“All of my bosses and some well-known associates will be at this party, along with their significant others. If I have to play their game, I’m going to need some backup.”

“Who are we trying to impress here, exactly?” He sounds genuinely curious. “I need to know who’s going to be in the room; how old they would be or gender ratio…”

“It’s…primarily men. The goal is to land a huge account that evening. If I can do that, it should show them that I deserve to be within their ranks. Our CEO will be there too, so if I can impress him–even better!”

Both his eyebrows flick up. “Okay. So, how do you see my role in this?”

You exhaled sharply. “I need to prove to my bosses that I am capable of commitment whether it’s with my job…or my personal life.”

If being single is seen as flaky or untrustworthy in your company, you want to prove them wrong. You could show them that you can be in a committed relationship. At least, until you’ve secured this promotion.

He stared at you for a few seconds to make sure that you were done talking before he responded. “Alright.”

Your face twitches slightly. “‘Alright?’ Simple as that?” You’re not sure why you were led to believe that this was going to be a more complex process given the vetting process you had to through just to secure this membership.

He lifted a shoulder. “Yeah. Just tell me when, where, and what talking points I need to look into so that I can do some research, if I need to.“

Talking points? Research?

He sounded thorough and really wanted to make a good impression to sell this story.

You give him a rundown of some interests that your senior staff had. Your CEO had a penchant for wine and recently invested in a small vineyard in Napa Valley. It was all he could talk about in the last few months. About midway through, Jungkook asks one of the servers for a pen and paper, continuing to take notes about the ‘job.’

You appreciated that attention to detail. You started to think that you may be getting your money’s worth.

You went on to describe a couple other people whom you wanted to impress at the party, most especially your managing director, who had a say in your promotion.

When you finished, it was his turn to talk through other necessary details about your arrangement.

“What’s our cover story? How did we meet, how long have we been together…in case anybody asks. Oh, and you’ll have to tell me how intimate I can be with you.”

“Intimate?” You croaked out. You thought that ‘intimacy’ was optional–which was why it was the first thing that you asked him during this mini-date. You internally panic and reach up to your earlobe to press on it gently.

“I mean, can I hold your hand? Are you okay with me touching you anywhere else? Can I kiss you?”

“Oh…uhm...s-sure.” Your eyes immediately flick down to his mouth briefly. It was very distracting.

“So…where?

Your breath hitched, snapping you out of your daze. “I beg your pardon?”

“Where can I touch or kiss you?”

You paused for a few seconds to consider this before you answered him. “Cheek, lips…” you say as casually as possible before quickly adding, “Not open-mouthed, though.”

He chuckles and nods along. “No problem.”

“And you can hold my hand, waist, or shoulders...” You rub your earlobe again as you try your best not to visibly sweat while you discuss parts of your body that this very unreasonably attractive and sexy-smelling man can put his hands on.

He cocked his head to the side, eyeing you carefully. “Is that a nervous tick?”

You stilled. “What is?”

“That,” he gestures at your hand fidgeting with your ears.

“Oh…uhm…coping mechanism,” you say nonchalantly. “It calms me down,” you reasoned.

He pursed his lips and nodded. “I see.” He subtly makes note of it.

You exhaled deeply. Focus, YN. You tell him where the event would be at and approximately how long you’d be there before he told you how much he would charge. You’d need him for about 3-4 hours. Once you agreed on his rate, you moved on to discuss the dress code.

“Do you have a tux or do you need me to rent you one?”

He chuckled again. “I have a couple, but I appreciate the offer.”

After hearing what his hourly rate was, you had no doubt he had a couple of tuxes…nice, bespoke ones, you presumed.

“What are you wearing?”

His question catches you off-guard. If you didn’t know better, you’d say it was a come-on. “Does that matter? We don’t need to coordinate or anything. This isn’t prom,” you joked.

He laughed. “I know that but I want to complement your outfit. Aesthetics draw people’s attention. I think it would help.”

You purse your lips, turning pensive for a bit but eventually acquiesced. He notes that you were wearing a jewel-toned dress.

“Okay, so I’ll need you to meet me at–”

“Wouldn’t it be more believable if we arrived in the same car together?”

You hadn’t thought about that. You were slightly apprehensive about driving around with a stranger, much less a boyfriend-for-hire. Then again, this wasn’t just any run-of-the-mill escort service. Everything about this place screamed high-class. The app also assures background checks and necessary clearances for all of their employees.

“If it makes you feel more comfortable, we can meet at a neutral place, then we can take my car to the venue.”

“Sounds practical,” you uttered then proceeded to set a meeting place and time so you could drive together. “Okay so, we’re all set? Do I give you the money now or…after?”

“You can give it to me when we meet–either before or at the end of the night, once you’re satisfied with the service,” he finished with a smile.

You cleared your throat. You were really doing this…

“So, I know our time’s almost up but did you have any more questions for me?”

“No.” You felt confident that your plan would work. “What about you? Do you have any questions for me?”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you single or…not in a committed relationship?”

You squinted at him suspiciously. “And how is that relevant to our agreement?”

“Knowing helps me form a bond with my clients. It also enhances the experience or customizes it, if you will.” He smiled faintly.

And then there it was again–that stare. Something about that look made you feel safe and encouraged you to open up.

You paused before you answered. You’d already worked this out in your head and justified it over and over…“I just haven’t found anybody who respects my independence. I know that seems counterintuitive especially if you’re trying to find a partner but–I want to be with somebody who is comfortable with the thought of me not needing them all the time.”

“That’s an interesting take.”

You sighed wistfully. “To me, the concept of ‘needing someone’ is because you’re expecting some sort of benefit from them…as if they’re necessary for you to function properly. That’s where dependency lies and I do not want to be dependent on anybody. I do, however, want somebody to love…or care about. Wanting something or someone involves desire, passion…comfort.”

His eyebrows lifted at that. “Wow,” he blew out. “That’s deep.”

You rolled your eyes and laughed, taking a sip of your drink. “I’ve just been in one too many relationships where my partners have always complained about me not making them feel needed. And the truth is, I don’t need them,” you said simply before turning serious again, “I want them in my life, but they just didn’t understand so I focused my energy elsewhere.”

He nodded in earnest. “I hope that I can fulfill some of your wants.”

“You already are,” you smiled.

The next morning, you called the assistant about changing your RSVP to include a plus one. Luckily, another guest backed out, and they were able to make room at your table for your date.

******

On the day of your company’s party, you pulled into the parking structure a few blocks away from the venue, where you and Jungkook agreed to meet. When you reach the third level, you spot him standing next to a sleek, black, two-door Mercedes C-class Coupe. You pull your own white, Mercedes E-class next to his and parked.

“Nice ride,” He remarked at your car as you stepped out.

“Thanks,” you responded, then gestured at his car. “Clearly…great minds think alike!”

“I wish! It’s a company car,” he clarifies. Your eyebrows flick up and wonder how many ‘companies’ like his had $50,000 cars on-hand for ‘business purposes.’

He gives you a once-over and compliments you. “You look beautiful, Miss YLN.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” you compliment him back. He was dressed in a matte, all-black tuxedo with silk lapels and a black bowtie. The only hint of color on his outfit was a pocket square matching your dress’ hue, which you noted appreciatively.

And you thought he couldn’t get any sexier. You internally fanned yourself.

“First things first!” You opened your clutch and took out an envelope that took up most of the space in it and handed it to him.

He glanced down at it before accepting it. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait until the end of the night to see how it goes first?”

Still holding your hand out, you cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are you saying that I should have second thoughts about this?” You countered.

He smiled confidently before quietly taking the envelope from you, tucking it in his jacket’s inside pocket and smoothing the front once more.

“Ready for showtime?” He asks.

“As I’ll ever be,” you respond before he opens the passenger door for you to slide into.

******

Your company went all out—valet parking, red carpet rollout to welcome all guests.

Jungkook hands the attendant his keys and you both walk up to the entrance, hand-in-hand.

The event was held at a fine arts museum whose structure was originally modeled after a French-style pavilion. It was located on the other side of the city, over a hill with sweeping views of the Pacific ocean.

The venue had a large atrium in which guests would be drinking and dining. It was surrounded by large, concrete columns that covered the whole perimeter and at the center of it all was an illuminated glass pyramid—which was where a small stage was set up.

Since the museum housed many classic, invaluable collections, museum staff imposed restrictions on guests milling around with beverages or appetizers next to the art.

You scanned the room and spotted a few of your coworkers, already in deep conversation with a few of their current clients.

“Who are we going for first?” He asks.

You crane your neck in search of your managing director. You locate him having a conversation with your CEO. Two birds with one stone, you guided Jungkook in their direction.

“Sunbaenim,” you bowed, greeting both of them.

“YN-ssi!” They bowed back, acknowledging you.

You introduce Jungkook to them, using his assumed name, and they exchange handshakes and pleasantries.

“Are you in finance, too?” Your CEO asks him after some small talk about the weather and the party.

“No. I’m in the hospitality business, actually. Client services, specifically,” Jungkook replied. You couldn’t help but shoot him a sideways look.

“Ah, I see. And how is business?”

“Very lucrative, actually,” Jungkook smirked and side-eyed you back, making you clear your throat sheepishly.

“Really?” He asked dubiously. “How so?”

“Well, I work for a private company that caters to a very specific yet virtually untapped market. Our clients pay top dollar to acquire our services and we’ve been very successful at it in the last few years.”

“Huh. That’s interesting. Which company is this again?”

“Le Groupe De L’Atelier,” he answered smoothly. “Have you heard of it?”

Your scalp prickles while you shift uncomfortably. Jungkook sounded as if he was winging this whole part of the conversation. You wanted to jump in but your director interrupted.

“Oh wow–” he breathed out, sounding impressed. “Your restaurant is very popular. I’ve uh–been wanting to get in touch with your CEO for a while. Any way you can put in a good word for me?” Your director asks opportunistically.

You grimaced. “Oh, director-nim–he’s not here to work,” you interject nervously while squeezing Jungkook’s arm.

“That’s okay, jagi,” Jungkook says sweetly. “Hyung gets a lot of partnership offers but he prefers to keep the corporation closed and limits contractors.”

Your director frowns. “Oh…surely he needs a good financial manager–”

“I believe he already has one,” Jungkook counters with a smile. “And he’s had a great working relationship with her over the years so, I think that’s taken care of.” That effectively ended that topic.

“Anyway,” Jungkook piped up, “Hyung has been looking into partnering with a local vineyard to expand our wine offerings. Do you have any suggestions?”

Your CEO’s eyes brighten and he begins to wax poetic about his newly purchased vineyard.

Jungkook glances at you and gives you a small wink, which makes you visibly relax.

******

Next, you approached a group of other analysts from your team.

You went down the line and introduced your boyfriend. They shook his hand in awe and approval.

“See that guy over there?” You whispered to him, pointing towards your office rival on the other side of the room. He bent down, leaning his ear closer to you. “That’s Wonwoo. We’ve been gunning for the same promotion all year.”

Wonwoo was not as motivated or competitive as you were. He was technically a non-factor but you noticed that your boss had been meeting with him often to share some ‘tricks of the trade.’ You tried to think nothing of it but suddenly recalled your conversation with Miri not so long ago.

Wonwoo was married and he and his wife had a baby on the way. Picture-perfect family. 100% committed.

You took a gulp of your drink. All you need is just one huge, notable account–and that promotion should be yours.

“He looks pretty unremarkable to me,” he mumbled back before one of your colleagues brought up a new topic of conversation. Every now and then, with your consent, he would massage your neck or put his hand around your waist protectively. He also continued to call you ‘jagiya,’ but not in an obnoxious way. His actions made you giggle–which shocked you more than it did your colleagues. His touches felt like you were trapped in a heatwave…one that made you desperate for a cold shower.

At dinner, a steady stream of alcohol flowed along with the conversation. You scanned the table in search of clues to find out if anybody was onto you–perhaps a weird stare or some whispering. You didn’t see any of that. You and Jungkook seemed to be a very believable couple!

It also helped that he was incredibly charming and humble at the same time. He talked about his hobbies and varied interests which didn’t seem all that extraordinary to you but the entire table was enthralled by him.

For a moment, it felt like you were the envy of everyone not just at the table but the whole room. Jungkook was the date the women at your table wanted to be with. Every party guest and colleague you encountered wanted to be his friend.

He was certainly a gentleman in every sense of the word. Earlier this evening, he opened doors for you, helped you with your coat, pulled your chair out, and with your consent, placed his hand on your leg or caressed your bare arm every so often.

You’d never know if he was a genuine guy or just a great actor. Still, it felt nice to be treated well and showered with affection.

******

After place settings were cleared out, everyone continued to mill around the party.

“I think things are going well, don’t you?” You asked Jungkook absently while you scanned the room for your next target.

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t be,” he replies smoothly.

You turned your head to regard him. “You know, you’re really good at this,” you complimented him. He kept up with conversations, even laughing politely at your coworkers’ bland jokes. He chimed in topics that seemed way out of left-field but he was always prepared with a quip or two.

“Me?” He points to himself incredulously. “Honestly, I feel like I haven’t done much except hang back and watch you. I just crack a couple jokes and talk about random stuff. You, on the other hand, are amazing at what you do. I’m starting to forget what you needed me for,” he joked.

“You have the charm factor! And…suddenly, I seem much more interesting to my coworkers now that I’m out in public with a date,” you remark with slight bitterness.

“You’re doing just fine, YN,” he says in consolation.

You inwardly groan. “Thanks,” you say sardonically. “Now I just need to find a big fish to reel in to look even more appealing. Once I do that, it should definitely give me a boost.”

You took a sip of your drink while you tensely scan the room again for other potential clients. Suddenly, you feel a warmth curl around your bare shoulders.

“Relax,” he crooned softly. He reached up slightly, stroking your earlobe and applied the faintest pressure with his thumb. “You’re too wound up,” he purred.

You peered up at him, his eyes boring into you, making your breath hitch and your mouth dry. When you pulled on your earlobes, it was a coping mechanism that helped center you; whereas he managed to turn it into foreplay.

“Feel better?”

Quite the opposite.

“Uhm,” you stammered hoarsely. “Sure…t-thanks.” You take a huge gulp of your drink to distract yourself again until you recognize someone familiar in the crowd.

“Oh! That’s Jessica Nam! Wow, she actually came,” you gasped in disbelief and turned to Jungkook.

The name didn’t ring a bell for him so he continued to stare blankly at you.

“S-sorry.” You apologized for expecting him to know a potential client. “Her e-commerce company’s valuation just hit a billion dollars,” you explained. “She just announced an expansion.”

He eyed her for a second, noticing that she was sitting at her table alone, not counting the two other guests who didn’t seem to notice her. She was sipping on her drink quietly, and texted on her phone, looking bored. If this woman was so rich, why wasn’t anybody crowding her, he wondered.

“Okay,” he takes your word for it. “But how come nobody’s trying to fleece her?”

You sighed softly. “Her company sells lingerie–via subscription.”

“Oh…and…that’s…a turnoff?” He asks slowly.

You clicked your teeth. “No. But she’s what my boss calls ‘new money.’ She started off as a social media personality who then capitalized on her base when she launched her business. And it worked to her advantage! I think she’s impressive.”

“And she doesn’t count as a potential big fish to reel in?”

“I feel that she is! It’s my boss who thinks she’s too new to the scene. Word on the street is that she’s shopping for a reputable wealth management firm. Our company invited her in an effort to reach out but…I don’t think my boss wants to put much effort in it. He’s doing the bare minimum.”

“Well, what do you want to do about it?” Jungkook turned to you.

“I’ve been wanting to schedule a meeting with her but I can never get through. She’s a busy woman.”

“What’s stopping you now? She’s right there! It’s not like she’s got armed guards or whatever.”

You sighed. “I technically need to have my boss present before going for a big account like that.”

Jungkook looked at you incredulously. “It’s a party! You’re just trying to make conversation! This might be the ace you need for your hand.”

“Hmm…” You hesitated. You knew the protocol. Your boss allowed you to speak to potential clients but usually under his direct orders. He always had to make the final, formal pitch and afterwards, sign the client with the company. You didn’t want to steal his thunder. Otherwise, it would compromise all of the schmoozing progress you’ve made this evening.

“Aish, screw your boss! You clearly respect this woman’s hustle–use that to your advantage! What’s the worst that could happen?”

You know what? Fuck it!

“You’re right,” you say, fully fired up by Jungkook. “I’m gonna go reel me a big fish!”

Together, you approached Ms. Nam, introducing yourself and your ‘boyfriend’. When it was his turn to shake her hand, he made eye contact with her and you could have sworn that she got a bit of whiplash.

Despite that, he kept himself calm and collected and was his usual gentlemanly self. While you made smalltalk with her, his eyes wandered towards the one side of the atrium–where he found your director eyeing your movements.

******

As you chat up your potential client about what your company can do for her, Jungkook excused himself to get you another drink. Your conversation was sounding a bit technical and he didn’t want to cramp your style.

On his way there, he passes your managing director, who was now joined by your company’s CEO, looking like they were having a casual conversation. He was fully intent on ignoring it but his ears perk up when he hears your name. He walked back slightly and hid behind one of the columns to listen in.

“Do you see YN making her move with the mail-order panty lady,” your director quipped, making the CEO chuckle.

“Well, her profits have been trending upward showing no signs of stopping,” your CEO remarked. “It would be great if we can sign her exclusively to manage her finances.”

“I trust YN to get the sales-talk going. Luckily, since she’s only a junior analyst. She has to defer to me to sign clients,” your director points out.

“You know, if she books this meeting, it will really raise our profile,” your CEO adds.

“I know–which is why, I’m thinking about bringing Wonwoo to the formal pitch. He can seal the deal on this. I’ve been mentoring him in the last couple months.”

“He’s planning on buying a house up north, right?” your CEO wondered out loud.

“He is,” your director confirms. “He and his wife are expecting their first kid–would be nice to get a nice commission to cover some of that downpayment, huh?”

“Yes, I think that’s a great idea,” your CEO bemused. “Keep me posted on that progress, huh?”

“I will, sunbaenim.”

Jungkook, forgetting about his bladder, decided to double-back to where you sat. This was something that he needed to let you know right away.

******

“I love your spunk, YN!” Jessica Nam laughs.

You were making great strides in your conversation with Miss Nam. If it were up to you, you’d draw up a contract on a cocktail napkin right this second to seal the deal.

“Seriously, though–that business expansion that you’re planning? I think it’s genius and it’s the next logical step!”

“It is, isn’t it?” She remarked. “And please, call me Jessi. ‘Miss Nam’ makes me feel way older than I need to be. Well–” she suddenly switched tact, “It does come in handy every now and then…especially during business meetings with male financial advisors,” she smiled ruefully. “It’s probably the only way I can garner respect.”

You sighed regretfully. “I’m sorry to hear that, Jessi.” She was young and became financially successful unconventionally. Unfortunately, some people only saw her as a bag of money.

“One of your staff has been relentless with my assistant. He’s leaving messages at my office, asking for a meeting. He said ‘hi’ earlier, made some boring smalltalk…” she craned her neck to look around before spotting him in one corner by the columns. “That guy!” She gestured at your boss.

“Oh,” you say, slightly embarrassed. “Yeah, he’s my managing director,” you replied carefully.

Feeling slightly suspicious, she cocked an eyebrow. “That’s…interesting,” she drawled.

However, you quickly added, “We don’t share the same principles, though, Jessi. I guarantee you that,” you assured her. “And if you give me an opportunity, I can give you a more formal presentation on what I think would be the best approach for your company. Much like your business, I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all plan. I think that there should be something for everyone–something that fits you perfectly and makes you look and feel good.”

Her face visibly relaxed. “Hm…tell me more,” she uttered, her interest piqued.

******

Jungkook returns to your table as you chat away. He quietly presents you with a drink and hands a glass of wine to Jessica.

After you mouthed your thanks, you feel his hand squeeze your shoulder. You turned your head and he smiled warmly at you. You had to admit, it was endearing.

Jessica smiled at the silent exchange. “You two look so cute together,” she mused.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just the trophy boyfriend,” Jungkook jested. “It’s YN here who's the real diamond.” His thumb and forefinger grazed your earring, and moved to your earlobe.

Normally, you’d cringe at that but he was on a hot streak tonight. You had to admit, the compliment warmed your cheeks…among other things.

Jessica sipped on her drink, then sighed. “You’ve given me a lot of things to consider, YN.”

“I hope so, Jessi. And–” you paused to reach into your clutch for a business card then handed it to her. “I’d love for us to talk more. I’m available for questions, any day.”

She accepts your card and smiles. “You’ll hear from me soon, YN.”

Her tone sounded really promising. You think you’ve left a good impression. On that note, you excused yourself, not wanting to hover too much and just hoped for the best.

Resting his hand on the small of your back, you and Jungkook walk away. When you were out of earshot, he immediately said, “Listen, I need to tell you something important.”

******

You were absolutely livid after Jungkook told you about what he overheard your bosses saying about you. To avoid making a scene, he walks you out into the courtyard, to blow off some steam–away from the party.

“That is so fucked up!” You fumed.

“Wonwoo?!” You spat out. “Him?” You were incredulous. You were in the same cohort but he never operated on the same level as you did.

“I’ve been working my ass off for five years and how am I still nowhere near making senior analyst? It’s…” You shook your head, unclench your fists and let out a growl of frustration. “I have way more billable hours than Wonwoo! I work late all the fucking time; I am the first to volunteer for all of the firm’s charity shit…I should be the shoo-in here! Yet they’re picking him?” You raged.

“YN…”

You paced around and took several deep breaths to calm yourself. You still had a chance to salvage this. “You know what? I have to seal the deal with Jessica Nam and just do what I need to do…then it should be fine. It should be fine,” you repeated.

“You know, you say that word a lot.”

“What?” You say hastily.

“‘Should.’”

“Huh?” You were confused.

“Seems like you work your way through your career around the word ‘should.’ Do you ever notice that?”

“N-no. I don’t think…”

“The first time we met, you said, ‘This promotion should have happened last year;’ or if you pull this off, ‘it should show them’ that you deserve this. Then tonight, you said, you need to ‘do what you need to do then it should be fine’.”

That didn’t seem right. You couldn’t have been using the word that much.

“Do you always have an idea as to how things should go for you?”

“Well, I do have goals,” you reasoned. “And I believe that if you continue to push hard, make the right connections, you shou–” You stopped yourself and pursed your lips immediately while he grinned, proving his point.

“Fine!” You relented. “So I’m a little more determined than most people and I like to manifest things. It keeps me focused.” You then looked down at your palms. “Because if I don’t, I’ll just keep wandering around aimlessly. I’m not a fan of winging it!”

He gave you a sympathetic smile. “I get it. Some people like to believe that if they push hard enough, they can change things as opposed to accepting them as they are.”

You shifted your stance while you considered his comment.

“Have you ever wondered about what you would do if your ‘shoulds’ don’t work out? Would you be open to going about things differently?”

You opened your mouth tentatively to speak but truthfully, you didn’t know the answer to his question. You weren’t sure if you had an answer for it.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but coming from an outsider’s perspective? I don’t get why you’re trying so hard to get a seat at this table. A table that nobody seems to want to make room for you.”

You sighed in irritation. “It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s…it’s just the way things are,” you justified. “That’s how you filter the unworthy ones.”

He scoffed. “Just because they make it so, doesn’t mean that’s how it should be.”

You paused and stared at him as if he’d grown two extra heads.

“Why don’t you look for another table where they make you feel welcome? Or better yet, here’s a crazy idea–build your own table!”

The thought of you leaving and starting all over again–it was daunting. You had worked so hard, invested so much of your time and effort, making many sacrifices along the way.

“This is supposed to be the top company to work for! I’ve...given so much just to get to where I’m at…” You groan in frustration. “And I’m just supposed to walk away from all that?”

He nods, trying to understand your justification of the situation. “Okay, I got that part. Suppose this all works out and you manage to force your way into this promotion. What now? Do you think they’ll make things easier for you then?”

You didn’t know that for sure. You were already jumping through hoops at this point! Meanwhile, all Wonwoo had to do was be married, knock up his wife, and continue to half-ass his client calls.

“I understand that some people need some form of validation–that’s an inherent human desire. But…you shouldn’t have to beg for it. If you think you’ve been doing great things this whole time– yet you still haven’t received that recognition that you know you rightfully deserve? Maybe it’s time to move onto some place where they appreciate you for who you are and what you do, instead of forcing you to conform to their righteous criteria.”

Somehow, in the back of your mind, you already knew this but you’ve been in denial. You didn’t need to prove your commitment to the company–that should have already been evident from the moment you broke the single-day contract signing record.

But those shoulds didn’t come through for you then. What difference would they make now?

“I know we haven’t known each other long but–I think you’re a badass! You’re a badass dwarfed by a bunch of dicks.”

That made you laugh.

“I’m serious! I’m not pulling your leg here. I think you can stand toe-to-toe with any one of those guys. It’s just that–this system has you set up for failure. They don’t think you could be great. And based on what I heard back there, they didn’t even think much about you at all!”

You got a sinking feeling–especially after your former colleague, Miri, left nearly two years ago. She didn’t seem like she held a grudge against the company but you suspected that she’d been shanked.

“I mean, obviously, you have final say on whatever you want to do. I’m fully aware of my place in this.”

“No, don’t say that.” you interjected softly.

He regarded you curiously.

“If there’s anything I learned from you tonight, it’s to not minimize myself. You should practice what you preach.“

He grinned at you. “There you go!”

You let out a long sigh. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Jungkook nodded gently. “Do you still want to head back inside?” He asked softly.

“Yes, but only to say goodbye to a few people. After that, I think we should call it a night, if that’s okay with you?”

His eyes softened before bobbing his head for a nod. “I’m good with whatever you decide, YN.”

“Thank you.”

“After you,” he utters, stretching his hand out towards the pathway leading back into the atrium.

After saying goodbye to a few clients in attendance, you excused yourself, telling Jungkook that you needed to make one last stop in the ladies’ room before heading back to the parking lot to retrieve your car.

******

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were stalking me,” a female voice said.

You look up at the mirror in front of you to find Jessica Nam’s reflection as she washed her hands over the sink next to you.

“Jessi…hi!”

“Fancy seeing you here,” she joked. “Are you staying for the dancing?”

You laughed softly. “Oh, no…I’m actually going to call it a night.”

“That’s a shame. I really enjoyed our conversation this evening. Most exciting one I’ve had in a while. Now I have to deal with all of these stiffs for the rest of the night. Your boss was not-so-subtly hovering and making inappropriate jokes,” she jested. “Maybe I should take that as a sign to take my leave, too.”

“I’m…sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t worry, YN. You don’t need to apologize for anything.” she smiled. “Well, anyway,” she sighed while she wiped her hands with paper towels. “I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier and I’ve decided that–I would love to sit down and talk more–say…at my office?”

Your jaw nearly drops to the floor in shock. “Uhm–uh…wow. Yes…yes! Thank you!” Your mind started to race. This was a huge opportunity for you.

“You can reach me here.” She hands you her business card. “I’m usually in the office during the week but if I’m not, my assistant will set up a schedule for us to meet. I’ll give her your name so she knows to pencil you in right away.”

You nearly squeal in excitement as you accepted her card.

“On one condition though,” she cautioned.

“Name it,” you replied instantly.

“I want you to be my point of contact,” she stated firmly.

Some analysts, like yourself, were experienced enough to talk to clients directly, answering their questions and handling minor issues so the managing directors would be free to work on bringing in more business. You did the grunt work while your bosses took all the glory. Still…protocol was protocol.

“Jessi–” you faltered, “My boss usually handles all of the client negotiations and I’m not sure if I have the authority to–”

Her expression unyielding, she waved her hand in mid-air to swat your excuses. “Then get the authority! Your boss is condescending and a complete asshole. You’re smart, ambitious, and unafraid to take risks. It’s either you or I walk away.” She shrugged.

Your cheeks warmed at her compliments. It was great to watch another woman beat the odds and succeed in the most unconventional way.

“Okay, I’ll be your point of contact,” you answered. It was too good a deal to pass up. You’d handle the consequences later.

“Good,” she grinned triumphantly.

“I’m really looking forward to our partnership, Jessi. You won’t regret it,” you said, holding your hand out. She took it and squeezed firmly.

“I don’t think I will,” she replied.

When you both exited from the ladies’ room, you found Jungkook scrolling through his phone. He spots you out of the corner of his eye and looks up to see an awestruck look on your face while you watch Jessica Nam walk out of the venue and into her waiting car at the front.

“Hey–everything okay in there?”

“Y-yeah. Uhm…I think that I just landed a deal with Jessica Nam,” you choked out in disbelief.

“That’s awesome!” He exclaimed. “Congratulations!”

“No, no–don’t congratulate me yet. Not until we’ve drawn up contracts and everything.”

“Yeah but isn’t that all just a formality?”

“I mean…I guess? Holy shit!” You breathed out, laughing.

“Nice, YN. You should savor it!” He was right. You should savor it!

******

Once you were back at the parking lot, he got out of the car and made his way around to open the passenger side. He offered his hand, which you held onto for support as you stepped out.

You unlocked your car, put your coat in the backseat and retrieved a pair of flats to switch out your stilettos.

When you were done, you leaned against the side of your car, and found that he had also shed his jacket and was now loosening his bowtie so he could undo the top button of his shirt.

Then he pulled his cufflinks off, pocketing them before he shut the passenger door. He was rolling up his sleeves when he turned to face you, mirroring your posture against his car.

He looked much more relaxed after all that while you, on the other hand, became unreasonably all wound up.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he asks, “Are you good?”

That zapped you back into reality. You nodded absently. “Yeah, I’m good,” you sighed.

“Sorry if things didn’t work out as you had planned,” he expressed regretfully.

“On the contrary–I think they worked out for the better,” you quipped.

He smiled broadly. “Where do you go from here?”

You lifted a shoulder. It was going to be difficult starting over again but–the great thing about it was that you had options.

“I’m taking my talents someplace else,” you say simply, alluding to Mira’s offer.

“Not that my opinion matters but I think that’ll be good for you.”

You mouthed your thanks. “So…where are you headed after this?” You ask him.

“Probably home. I was going to take another date but since we weren’t quite done, I turned it down.”

You gasped, realizing that you had gone way past your original time limit. “Oh gosh–I’m sor–”

He waved his hand, not making a big deal out of it. “It’s alright. So we went over an hour,” he shrugged noncommittally.

Mortified, you tried to rectify your oversight. “No, no, I’d feel bad. I can add more–”

He shook his head. “That really won’t be necessary, YN. As long as you got what you needed?”

You nodded earnestly. “I did! And I can’t help thinking that I owe you in some way…not just for the extra hour but in general.”

“Nah,” he chuckled softly. “I didn’t do anything. I just stood there and watched you work. It was all you.”

“Yes, but without your prompting, I never would have realized some things. You know, since I was always focused on the ‘shoulds’ instead of the ‘coulds’,” you say, thinking back to your initial conversation. “So…thank you,” you say graciously, since you couldn’t think of any other way to express your gratitude.

“You’re welcome.” He pushed off his car, straightened out, took a step closer and stretched his hand out towards you. “I hope that you were satisfied with your experience?”

You smiled, clasping your hands with his. “I was.”

Then he turned wistful. “Does this mean that this is the last time I’m ever going to see you?”

You gave him a rueful smile. “I think so.”

He hummed, releasing you from his hold to slide his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels. “That’s a shame. I really liked spending time with you.”

You raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. “Do you say that to all of your clients?”

“Yes,” he replies candidly, with a little chuckle.

You laughed. “Thanks for not lying on my account.”

“That aside, I will say that you’re going to be one of my more memorable clients. And uh…If you ever want to talk or hang out and grab a drink somewhere–as friends,” he emphasized, “Just let me know.”

“I might take you up on that,” you answered in all sincerity.

You’d never met anybody like him. His lack of complication was fascinating to you. It was refreshing.

This evening, your chemistry felt so natural that you had moments where you forgot that you hired him to pretend to be in love with you. You didn’t know for certain if it was the alcohol, the boost of confidence that he gave you, or the fact that he was this unattainable fantasy–but you found yourself to be in love, too…just for tonight.

Nevertheless, beneath those big, round eyes of his was a dose of reality. It didn’t make you feel bitter thinking that you would never find someone exactly like him in the real world. He made you realize that even though you should not settle for anything less, you could still consider a compromise–one that would make you and your potential partner happy.

“I’m not forcing you to, though. The choice is always yours, as it should be,” he grinned.

You stare at him silently for a few seconds–and he stares back. As safe and assuring this look made you feel before, the longer he did it, the more intense that look got. Before you knew it, it felt as if he was undressing you on the spot.

After some hesitation, you wondered, “Can I try something?”

“Sure,” he replies.

You straightened out and moved closer to him, making his eyebrow quirk in anticipation of what you would do next. The last thing you see is him closing his eyes as you tilted your chin up to press your lips to his.

Although tentative at first, you opened your mouth slightly. Instinctively, his lips moved in perfect synchronicity with yours. You felt a tingle in the pit of your stomach when you felt his hand cup your jaw while your lips continued to explore each other’s mouths.

You finally found the strength to pull away from him, which left you breathless and slightly off-balance.

“Huh,” you say with your eyebrows raised and forehead creased.

His face falters a little at your seemingly unimpressed reaction. “Was that not good for you?” He asks slowly.

“Oh–it was good. Really good.” Your mind is buzzing, heat pooling between your legs.

You watched his tongue graze his lower lip before his right pointer finger slowly reached over to push some errant strands of hair away from your forehead. “I can show you exactly how good it could be.”

For a second, you actually considered it. He was great company and you had fun tonight…not to mention that he was also really hot.

“I can get a room for us at the hotel a couple blocks away from here.” Then, he leaned in and lowered his voice to your ear. “Off the clock.”

You had to admit, it was extremely tempting. It was all part of the service: the companionship, the fantasy, and mind-blowing sex designed to specifically please you…with no strings attached!

And why were you second-guessing this again?

But something within you thought that if you took him up on his offer, you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself. A fantasy— no matter how enticing— was still a fantasy.

“You know what?” You stepped back slightly, clearing your throat nervously, “It’s just not what I need right now. I had a really great time with you and…I think we should leave at that,” you say as respectfully as possible.

He smiled, unperturbed. “I thought it was worth a shot,” he shrugged. “You never know!”

You groaned inwardly. “Trust me…it was not an easy decision.” You clutched your keys tighter while that ache between your thighs turned excruciating. You had to be logical about this.

“Can we at least hug it out?”

You laughed softly. “Of course!” You stepped into his waiting arms and he gave you a gentle squeeze. You had a fantastic time with him and he fulfilled the task that you had hired him for. In turn, he opened your eyes to what you’ve been missing this whole time–your worth.

“Don’t be a stranger, hm?” He mumbles into your ear.

You unlocked your car and opened the door. Before sliding in, you turn to him one last time. “Thank you for…everything, really.”

“You’re welcome. And don’t forget that you’re pretty awesome, too. You just have to believe in it more.”

******

“Oh and don’t forget, you have lunch with Jessi Nam in an hour.”

You look up and acknowledge your assistant, who sat across from your new desk in your new office, at Miri Jang’s firm. After the party, you put in your two weeks and gathered your things, taking with you a couple of notable clients–one of them, Jessica Nam.

“Thanks, Kai. I can’t miss that!”

He smiled. “And Cristina in Legal just sent over the final draft of the Nam contract. It’s all worked out and ready for her signature when you bring it to the meeting.”

“Perfect!” you remarked. “That’ll be all, Kai. Thanks again.”

When he steps out, you lean back against your seat and stare out your window.

It’s been over two weeks since you last saw Jungkook. Every now and then, you’d miss him…but it was more the idea of your date. The constant physical contact, being extra-attentive, complimenting you without sounding patronizing. And even the little things like, calling you ‘jagi’ or simply leaning in closer to listen to what you have to say.

Was it nice having the perfect boyfriend for a night? Of course!

Would you ever do it again? Highly unlikely.

Then again, it’s not like you canceled your membership so…never say 'never'.

You’ve reached the end! Thank you so much for reading!

If you loved it, please comment, reblog, or send me feedback! 📩. I love hearing from readers! If you didn’t like it so much, I would still like to hear about it. Help me become a better writer! 💜

Tagging: @internetjunkdrawer @deepseavibez @itdoesntmatterwhy @effielumiere @yoongukie-ff @miksancheese

#bts fan fiction #jungkook #jeongguk #jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook #jungkook fluff #bangtanbathhouse #btswritingcafe #btshoneyhive #btscarnivalnet #bts jungkook #bts jeon jungkook #TheBFE x jjk

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karahalloway · 10 months

Text

Uncharted: Tales from the Gypsea - Surf's Up!

Fandom: TRR

Series: Uncharted: Tales from the Gypsea

Pairing: Drake Walker x Harper Gale (F!OC)

Synopsis: While on their honeymoon, Harper takes Drake out of his comfort zone with an unexpected birthday surprise...

Word Count: 5,000 (which is about 3,000 words longer than anticipated, but H&D always run away from me, so here we are 😅)

Rating/Warnings: E (swearing in multiple languages, a few lemon-scented moments, extreme sports)

A/N1: So… this was not what I was supposed to be working on… 😅 But when @petiteboheme sent me a video of Bruno Santos (my FC for Drake) trying hydroboarding (also known as jetblading) for the first time, and demanding that I write a version featuring Drake and Harper, I couldn’t say ‘no’. And since (a) it's the summer, and (b) I haven't written a birthday fic for Drake this year yet, I instantly got a brainwave and dove right in! Hope you enjoy!

A/N2: As mentioned in the Author’s Notes for this series, this fic takes place during Harper and Drake's honeymoon. I HC that Drake’s birthday falls on June 6th, so this mini-adventure would take place approx. midway through the trip.

A/N3: This fic ended up featuring quite a lot of Italian, so as per usual, translations below. I also have a few other general notes at then end.

A/N4: This is also my submission for @choicesjunechallenge, prompts Summer, Vacation, Surf, Beach, Love.

"Rise and shine, sleepy-head," I murmur softly, feathering kisses along the side of Drake's neck.

He groans under his breath, pulling himself out of the depths of slumber with some difficulty. "That's my line, Gale."

"Well, I'm stealing it," I reply impishly, leaning over him to catch his lips with mine. "Especially since I'm up before you for once."

"Obviously, I didn't do a good enough job last night," he grumbles against my mouth, even as he snakes his hand onto my backside to pull my naked body on top of his.

"Oh, don't worry — you did," I assure him, dropping tiny kisses down his chest. "Just like the night before..." My teeth graze his abs. "And the night before that..."

A low sound rattles his throat as I move lower. "The circumstantial evidence indicates otherwise..."

"I needed a way to grab your attention," I tell him sweetly, pausing just above the much more pronounced tan line that circled his hips.

"Oh, you most certainly got it," he confirms, all vestiges of sleep now banished from his countenance as he looks down at me hungrily.

"Good," I declare, drawing myself back up to his eye-level. "Because I have something for you."

"Oh, yeah?" he smirks with a cocked brow, running his palms up my bare thighs in anticipation.

"Yup," I affirm, leaning over him to reach into the recess on the wall behind the bed.

His eyes widen as I pull out the rectangular-shaped item wrapped in Marvel superhero logo emblazoned wrapping paper. "Wait. You didn't—"

"Happy birthday!" I pronounce, holding the present out to him triumphantly.

He greets my offering with a seriously unimpressed glare. "Gale, I told you that—"

"—you don't want any presents, I shouldn't make a big deal out of it, we're on our honeymoon, blah-blah-blah." I fix him with a deadpan look. "Well, guess what, bud? You don't have a choice. Because I want to celebrate the day you were born."

He scoffs. "Oh, so my birthday's all about you, huh?"

"No," I counter. "It's all about you. And I think I did a pretty good job last year. So, how 'bout you trust me for a change?"

He heaves a beleaguered breath. "Can't we just—?"

"Nope!" I interject, thrusting the parcel into his face.

He rolls his eyes as he finally takes the present. "The things I do for you, girl..."

"Don't you mean the things I do for you?" I counter meaningfully.

He hits me with level look as he scoots himself into a sitting position. "We could both be doing each other right now if—"

"Oh, my God, you're impossible!" I cry exasperatedly, even as I fail to suppress a snort of amusement. "Just open it already!"

"Maybe I like the anticipation..."

I smack him on the chest.

"Christ, I married a bullbat!" he huffs.

"Who you love unconditionally," I remind him. "So, I know you'll love this."

He quirks a sceptical brow as he finds the edge of the folded paper and starts to peel it open. "You sound damn sure of yourself..."

"I have reason to be confident," I say, folding my arms with a wink.

He shakes his head at me as he finishes opening his present. But I can see the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

The last of the wrapping paper falls away, and he frowns. "You got me... a photo frame?"

"Turn it over," I prompt, trying to contain the butterflies flapping around in my stomach.

He’s gonna like it — I’m sure of it. But... there's always a tiny part of you that insists on throwing all the worst-case scenarios at you, making you doubt yourself.

He flips the frame over...

...and silence falls on the cabin as his expression goes blank.

I bite my bottom lip, waiting for him to say something, to react in some kind of way, but he is as immobile as a statue, giving no indication of his state of mind.

Finally, I can't take it any more. "Do you—?"

"When did you do this?" he demands hoarsely.

"When we were last in port," I tell him. "I went to that pharmacy t—"

"But we don't have the pictures from the wedding yet," he cuts in, voice still tight.

"You mean, you don't have the pictures from the wedding yet," I grin. "I asked Max to put a rush on that one so it would be ready for your birthday."

"Christ, Harper," he breathes, eyes brimming with sudden emotion as he pulls me into him. "Remind me never to play poker with you..."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I say, wrapping my arms around him. "So, does that mean I managed to surprise you?"

"Every goddamn day," he says into my hair, squeezing me tight. "'Cause the fact that you're here with me at all is still pretty un-fuckin'-believeable..."

"Well, you did put a ring on it, so..." I waggle the fingers of my left hand at him.

He smacks me on the ass. "You know what I mean..."

I snort into his neck.

"But seriously," he says, pushing me back up so we were face-to-face again. "I love it. I honestly didn't even realise we had any pictures of us... let alone so many."

"Sometimes you gotta capture that moment in between," I tell him with a coy shrug.

His expression cracks. "God, I love you..."

Yanking me to down, his lips claim mine in a passionate, searing kiss that is dizzying in its intensity.

I sigh happily, melting against him.

And even though I would've loved nothing more than to lose myself in him, out here, in the middle of the ocean, for the umpteenth time since the start of this trip, our love-making’s going to have to wait.

Because today calls for a very different kind of celebration.

So, before Drake has a chance to pull us both into what’s — very clearly! — his preferred form of revelment, I break off the kiss.

His eyes snap open to meet mine. "Gale, what are you—?"

"No rest for the wicked, cowboy," I declare, jumping off him. "It's your 28th birthday and we have things to do, and places to be!"

His face drains of colour. "Sweet fuckin' Jesus, girl... You didn't organise a party, did you?"

I choke back a laugh at the sight of the sheer horror in his eyes. "You really think I'd do that to you, Walker?"

"Well, you clearly have no compunction 'bout leaving a man high and dry on his birthday," he objects sourly, gesturing at his arousal that’s now flying very much at full mast. "So, apparently anything goes."

"Don't worry," I assure him, pausing in the doorway to the bathroom. "There's no party. But we are running behind schedule, so you need to get your butt out of bed and move the boat, Cap'n."

"She's a 37-foot sailing yacht..." he grumbles, running his hand down his face, "not a—"

"Chop-chop, Walker!" I prompt, disappearing into the bathroom with a clap of my hands. "Nobody's gettin' any younger here!"

He flops back onto the pillows with a pained groan. "Christ alive..."

"So?" I ask an hour or so later around a mouthful of Eggs Benedict, sitting on the patio of an unassuming little bistro in St. Julian's, on the island of Malta. "Did I pick well?"

Drake spears the last of his own breakfast. "See or hear any complaints?"

"Worth getting out of bed for?"

He quirks a brow at me as he settles back into his chair. "Now that might be a stretch..."

I punt him under the table.

"Hey," he objects, dodging out of the way. "I said it was good. But would I trade the chicken and waffles for an extra hour in bed with you? Every time."

"Hmm..." I say, stirring the remainder of my freshly squeezed orange juice with my straw. "Sounds like I need to try harder next time."

He meets my eye over the rim of his coffee cup. "You can try... But you've set a damn high bar for yourself, girl."

I click my tongue as I set the glass back onto the table. "Well, the day isn't over yet, cowboy. I may still be able to surpass myself."

"Tough odds, Gale," he assures me with a smirk. "Tough odds."

"How was everything?" asks the sever, appearing to clear our plates away.

"Really good!" I say. "I'm stuffed!"

"And you, sir?"

"It hit the spot," Drake acknowledges, flicking a contented look my way.

"Glad to hear!" the server replies as she stacks the empty crockery together. "Can I get you another refill, or—?"

"Just the bill, please," I interject, reaching for my purse. "We're running a bit late."

"No problem," she replies. "I'll print it off right away. Cash or card?"

"Car—"

"Cash," interjects Drake, holding some Euros out. "And you can keep the change."

I whirl on him in bewilderment. "But—"

"Th-thanks," stammers the server, clearly surprised by the size of the tip Drake has just given her. "Did you still want the receipt?"

"Nah, we're good," advises Drake, pushing his chair back. "The wife says we're running late, so that means we're running late."

"Okay, I won't keep you then! Have a good rest of your day!"

"But—" I try again, but the server has already stuffed the cash into her apron and turned away.

"Up-and-at-'em, Gale," prompts Drake, holding his hand out. "You said we gotta get moving so—"

"But, I was going to pay for breakfast!" I object, grabbing my bag and taking his proffered assistance to help me stand.

"Well, I beat you to it," he shrugs, looping his fingers through mine as he navigates us through the labyrinth of tables that dotted the bistro's patio. "Plus, you'd've been shafted on the bank charges and the exchange rate, so—"

"But it's your birthday!" I press. "I wanted to treat you for a change!"

"Trust me, you did," he assures me with a smile, giving my hand a squeeze. "You found a place in the Med that does chicken and waffles for breakfast. If that's not a treat, I dunno what is."

I feel myself blush under the sincerity of his gaze. "So, you did like it."

"'Course I did," he affirms, twirling me to a stop in front of him. "Even if I had to eat dirt for breakfast, I'd enjoy it if I got to do it with you. You're the silver lining around everything, mon coeur."

I feel my throat tighten as I gaze up at him. "Drake..."

"And the money?" He reaches up to stroke my face with a nonchalant shrug. "That's all relative. We're married now, so what's mine is yours and vice-versa. There's no need to keep tabs on who pays for what and when."

I'm suddenly powerless in the face of his caress. "If you say so, Mr. Walker."

"It's my birthday," he confirms, cupping my face in his hands. "So, I do say so... Mrs. Gale-Walker."

Leaning in, he tilts my chin up. My eyes shudder closed as his lips meet mine softly, tenderly, like a lapping wave kissing the shoreline. But with each surge, that wave crests in size and strength until it becomes a riptide of passion that threatens to swallow us completely.

"Christ, I'll never get tired of saying that," he breathes between one inrush and the next.

"It was... definitely a hard... fought accomplishment," I agree haltingly, gripping his hair in an effort to keep myself from being swept away by his sudden fervour.

He swallows a groan as my body arcs into his. "All the more reason...to celebrate the crap out of it."

My eyes snap open. "Celebrate...! Shit! We're late for your—"

"Screw that," he growls, tightening his hold on me. "I'm takin' you back to the boat."

"Thought it was... a sailing yacht," I gasp as he underscores his intent by pulling me flush against the hardness of his body.

"Not the point," he replies dismissively, scrunching the material of my romper between his fingers as his stubble brushes the shell of my ear. "'Cause I'm still gonna fuck you over every inch of the deck."

"After!" I tell him, distracting him with a kiss on his cheek as I spin out of his grasp.

His head drops back to stare up at the sky. "Putain de bordel de—"

"Come on!" I shout over my shoulder at him, already pegging it down towards the marina.

He grumbles something testily under his breath before reluctantly obliging.

Dodging around locals and tourists, we manage to make it down to the bottom of the hill where the island gave way to Spinola Bay just as the various clock-towers around the city begin to toll the hour.

"Crap!" I exclaim, throwing my head around as I try to speed-read the various signs suspended over the promenade. "Which one is it?"

Drake comes to a stop next to me. "Gale, what are y—?"

"There it is!" I cry, grabbing his hand to haul him after me.

"Sweet Jesus, girl!" he huffs. "Will you just—?"

He cusses again as he very nearly avoids running me over as I suddenly pull us up in front of a squat building.

"Ta-da!" I exclaim, throwing my arm dramatically out at the black-and-red façade of the water sports rental place that we just arrived at.

"Okay...?" he says hesitantly, eyeing the store front dubiously. "And we're here because...?"

"You'll see!" I proclaim, pulling him into the minuscule space inside the door.

"Oh, for fuck's s—!"

The two guys manning the counter look up at the sound of our whirlwind arrival.

Laying eyes on me, both of their faces break into that trademark Mediterranean smile I've found myself on the receiving end of more times than I could count since the start of this trip.

"Ciao, bella!" cries one by way of greeting, stepping out from behind the counter. "Can we help you?"

"Ciao, yes. I'm Harper," I say, holding my hand out. "I spoke to one of you on the phone yesterday?"

The guy's eyes light up as he grabs my hand eagerly. "Ah, sì! Harper! I remember!" Bending down, he lays an enthusiastic kiss on my knuckles. "You spoke to me! I'm Mario."

I nod in affirmation. "Yes, I—"

"And this is my brother, Luca!" continues Mario with typical Italian excitement, throwing a hand on the other guy's shoulder to yank him into my eye-line.

"Come stai?" he asks, grabbing my hand out of his brothers grasp to drop a loud smooch on it as well.

"Sto bene, grazie," I reply graciously.

Mario and Luca stare at me in bewilderment before simultaneously lighting up in wonder. "Ah! Sorprendente! Parla italiano? Hai un così bell'accento! Tu che sembri—"

"And, this is Drake," I add in English, somewhat apologetically, having exhausted my limited Italian. "My husband."

The brothers' faces fall. "Ah. Piacere."

Drake nods passively in reply.

"So... you, ah, wanted to have Full Flight experience?" asks Mario, clearing his throat as he resumes his place behind the counter.

"Yes," I respond, digging into my bag for my phone. "The 30 minute package. I have the confirmation email, if—"

"No, no!" interjects Mario with a wave of his hand as he clicks the Apple desktop screen to life. "I have you in system already. And you paid full amount yesterday, so you only need to sign waiver before start of your lesson."

"Great!" I say, dropping my phone back into the bag's pocket as Luca hands me a double sided piece of paper. "You have a pen?"

Two sets of biros are thrust instant in my direction.

"Thanks," I say bemusedly.

Turning back to Drake, I see him looking at me with a raised brow.

"Full flight experience, Gale?" he asks dryly. "We signing our life away to go parasailing or something?"

"Nope," I reply, passing him the waiver and the pen with a grin. "Just you. Because you're about to go hydroboarding."

His eyes snap up to mine. "Hydro-what-now?"

"Hydroboarding," I repeat. "Also known as jet-blading. Think Iron Man thrusters on your feet, but powered by water instead of... whatever it is that powers Iron Man's thrusters."

"Repulsors," he supplies dryly as he scans the waiver. "And you thought this was a good idea because...?"

"Because it's your birthday and I wanted to surprise you with something that you haven't tried before and therefore wouldn't be expecting!"

"Well, you certainly managed to score on both of those fronts," he mutters, scribbling his details on the form.

I lean into him seductively. "I told you I'd be able to surpass myself."

He glances up from the page. "Don't jump the gun, baby. I'm not out on the water yet."

"Like I said this morning," I purr against his ear. "I have reason to feel confident."

A low growl rumbles in his throat as he dashes his signature on the form.

"Bene!" cries Mario, snatching the waiver away. "If you follow Luca to the back, he will give you helmet and wetsuit in your size."

"Wetsuit?" queries Drake, dropping the pen on the counter. "Seriously?"

"All part of the package, darling," I tell him with a pat on his back as we file after Luca.

Drake groans audibly. "You're walking a fine line, girl..."

"You know me, Walker..." I smirk. "I'm all about the high-octane thrills!"

"Good," he says, throwing me a heated look over his shoulder. "Because when we get back to the yacht, I'm still plannin' on taking you all the way to cloud nine."

I meet his eye. "That a promise?"

His mouth pulls into a cocky grin. "It's a gold-plated guarantee."

"So, this is equipment room," declares Luca, coming to a stop in the middle of a tightly packed space that was filled to the brim with various pieces of water-sporting gear. "We have helmets, wetsuits, life jackets in all sizes. You look like you're a pretty fit guy so—"

"La mia taglia la so," interjects Drake, striding over to a rack of wetsuits.

Luca's eyes widen.

"He's been diving before," I say by way of explanation.

"Noto," comes the po-faced acknowledgment as Drake rifles critically through the options. "And I see now where you learn to speak Italian."

"Learning," I correct. "It's a bit of a slow process."

"Salvagente?" asks Drake, turning back to the room with his selection.

Luca indicates towards the far wall.

Crossing the floor, Drake quickly picks out a life jacket, and a helmet as well.

"Lo spogliatoio è laggiù," advises Luca, pointing to a haphazardly hung curtain in the corner.

"Grazie," nods Drake, carrying his armload of stuff over.

"Do you... need me to hold onto anything?" I ask.

"Nah, I'm good," he replies, stepping behind the curtain. "Be out in a minute."

"Okay."

"So, you come to Malta for holiday?" asks Luca inquisitively, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of having to wait in silence.

"Honeymoon," I reply, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Ahh!" he exclaims, throwing his hands up into the air. "Congratulazioni! Your husband is very lucky guy!"

"Thanks," I say with a simile. "I feel the same way about him."

"How you two meet?"

"Erm... it's a bit of a long story, but we met in New York."

"Ah, sì! New York!" he nods enthusiastically. "The Big Melon!"

I frown. "Normally it's called the Big Apple, but—"

The sound of metal rings jingling on the curtain pole draw my attention.

Turning my head, I see Drake step out from the changing area and I can't help but snort.

He quirks a brow as he adjusts the chin strap on his helmet. "Somethin' funny, Gale?"

"No," I say, trying to recollect my composure. "I... I've just never seen you with so much gear on."

"Well, it's a bit overkill, if you ask me," he declares, grabbing his clothes and shoes from the floor.

"You do look ready for some serious spelunking..."

"Let me guess?" he drawls, handing me his stuff. "That's my birthday present for next year?"

I swallow down another snort as I drop his things in my tote. "Do you want it to be?"

His mocha eyes meet mine. "Only if you're coming with me."

"You got yourself a deal, cowboy," I say with a grin, pushing myself up on my toes to give him a kiss. "Now go live it up as Iron Man."

"Whatever you say, Miss Potts," he smirks with a wink, giving my backside a clandestine squeeze before turning to Luca. "Quindi cosa dopo?"

"Suegitemi," he prompts, heading back to the front of the store.

"Y'know," whispers Drake into my ear as we follow after Luca, "it's not too late for you to ditch that romper and get gussied up too."

"Nice try, Walker," I laugh. "But like I said — this day is all about you, so I'm more than happy to sit this one out so I can capture your escapades on film."

"Fine," he grumbles. "But I'm gettin' my own back for your birthday."

"I expect nothing less," I grin as Luca leads us out onto the jetty, where Mario is already waiting for us.

"Ah! Bellissimo!" he enthuses upon our approach. But his face suddenly falls as his eyes land on me. "Harper! You change your mind? You don't want to go flying?"

"Oh, no," I say with a chuckle. "This was a surprise for Drake."

"Ahh!" nods Mario in understanding. "You want to use husband as hamster first. Smart lady!"

"Actually—"

But Mario has already turned his attention onto his student. "So. Mr Drake. Like English pirate, yes?"

"Era un corsaro, non un pirata," replies Drake.

"Ah-ha!" exclaims Mario, clapping Drake on the shoulder. "So, it is you who are the secret Italian! But why English name?"

"Perché sono mezzo americano," explains Drake. "Ma mia madre è di Cordonia e anche io sono cresciuto lì."

"Ah, sì... Cordonia," muses Mario. "Bel paese. Belle donne."

As Drake continues conversing with the brothers in their native language, I take the opportunity to slip my phone out of my bag and take some pictures of the three of them, as well as the sparkling bay behind us.

Malta had not been on the list of destinations for this trip, but it had been the only place that offered hydroboarding. So, when it had popped up as an option during my online hunt for birthday surprises for Drake, I’d know I I had to convince him to make the detour south.

And honestly? It hasbeen worth it. The little island was a true jewel of the Mediterranean with craggy limestone cliffs plunging into azure-blue bays so clear you could see to the bottom, while the small towns that dotted the coast literally made you feel like you stepped back in time as you wandered the meandering cobblestone streets lined with imposing baroque buildings.

Stowing my phone away, I turn back to the men and see that they are now in the process of showing Drake how to use the hydroboard, which really does look like the wayward parts of Tony Stark's suit. And while I can’t understand any of the fast-paced Italian, I’m able to pick up the general gist from the non-verbal parts of the demo: dip your toes down to go forwards, straighten back up to stop or rise higher, and lean to the side to turn.

Drake is nodding along intently, dropping a few questions here and there, but before long, Luca is strapping the device to his feet, and latching on the tube that would supply the water to the thrusters via the jet ski's propulsion system.

"All set?" I ask as he prepares to drop into the water.

"We're about to find out," he replies while Luca helps lower him off the pier.

"Have fun!" I call down to him.

"Harper!"

I snap my head up at the sound of my name.

Mario beckoning to me from atop his jet ski. "Jump on! Capitano Drake said you wanted to take pictures — best spot is from the water."

"But I'm not dressed for swimming," I say, gesturing at my romper.

"Don't worry!" he laughs. "I promised your husband I will take good care of you. You won't fall in."

"Okay, sure!" I nod with a grin, slipping out of my sandals. Opening up my tote, I drop my shoes in and extract my phone before stowing the bag behind a large metal mooring post. Since it was just us out here, I figured our stuff would be safe for the 30 or so minutes while we were out on the water, especially since it looked like Luca would be staying on the jetty.

Quickly throwing my hair into a ponytail, I make my way over to Mario. Sitting down on the edge of the pier, Luca provides some assistance with manoeuvring me onto the back of the jet ski, given that I only really had one free hand.

Once I'm seated securely, Mario relays some instructions into the headset he’s wearing before slowly guiding the little vessel away from the jetty.

Glancing behind me, I see Drake's head bobbing above the water, but he quickly starts to ascend skywards.

"Get ready," advises Mario, revving the throttle higher as he spins the jet ski around so we’re facing back towards the shore.

Pulling up the camera app, I switch it to video mode and hit record just as Drake rises somewhat haphazardly out of the water.

"Oh, my God! That's so cool!" I exclaim, watching as the powerful jets under his feet propel him upwards until he's hovering about a foot above the water, arms thrown out as he tries to maintain his balance.

"Like magic, no?" grins Mario, watching Drake's efforts and making adjustments to the throttle speed accordingly.

"Definitely!" I enthuse, zooming in on Drake as he begins to move forwards.

"Balance is most important thing," calls Mario above the roar of the jets. "If you have strong balance you can—"

"Oh, no!" I cry as Drake suddenly loses the tentative hold in his equilibrium and tips in slow-motion back into the water.

"Everybody falls," Mario assures me as he helps Drake level out again before powering upwards once more with some further instructions into his headset. "But for first time, he is doing great job!"

"He's an amazing snowboarder," I say. "And he used to ski before that. I'm guessing both of those help."

"Sì, sì," nods Mario, keeping his gaze on his charge. "Skating, rollerblading, surfing — all these sports are good practice. Should we make him go higher?"

"Obviously!" I laugh, giving Drake a wave as he looks in our direction.

He gives a quick wave in response before focusing his attention back on the mechanics of his flight. Mario relays a few more instructions down the line and Drake throws us a thumbs up in response. A few false starts and a couple of jagged movements later, he's managed to draw a figure of eight out in front of us.

"Wow!" I gasp as he repeats the exercise again, this time with increased speed. "He's gotten the hang of that that quick!"

"He is natural," agrees Mario. "Before you know it, he will be competing in X-Games."

"Don't tell him that, because he definitely—!" I gasp as I catch sight of Drake again. "Holy crap!"

"Like I said — he is natural," replies Mario, watching Drake execute a tight 360 bent low over his board.

"Oh, God, I've created a monster..." I mutter sardonically under my breath as Drake flies out of the spin into a wide circle around us.

The rest of the session zooms by in a blur, and before I know it my phone’s battery is about to die and it's time to head back to shore.

"That was so amazing!" I exclaim as Luca helps me dismount the jet ski. "And I wasn't even the one flying!"

"You are welcome back anytime, Harper," says Mario with a grin as Luca takes my place on the back of the craft. "It was our pleasure!"

Grabbing my bag, I watch as the brothers head back to Drake and help him detach the hydroboard from his feet before shuttling it back to the jetty.

Drake makes the short swim back to the pier, and I'm there waiting for him as he climbs back onto dry land.

"So, what did you think?" I ask as he pulls himself up next to me, dripping water.

"Fuckin' awesome!" he declares, unclipping his helmet with a beaming smile. "The time went by so fast that I swear I was only out there for 5 minutes, tops."

"Well, my phone can attest to the fact that it was the full half hour," I assure him. "I got some good pics though!"

"Great! Can't wait to see! And you're definitely coming with me next time. You'd love it! It really is like flying!"

"Glad you had a good time, cowboy," I say, dropping a kiss in his salt-infused lips.

He wraps his arm around me, drenching me in the process. "I did. And I appreciate you pulling this together for me behind my back. You really didn't have to."

I smack him on the chest. "Of course I did! What kind of person would I be if I didn't surprise you with some kind of surprise on your birthday?"

"Well, you got me the other present already, so—"

"Nope!" I declare with a cheeky grin. "One present isn't enough. I gotta keep you in your toes, bud, remember?"

"You do, baby," he says with a warm look, pulling me to him. "Every single day. And I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"Me neither," I assure him, fusing my lips with his. "Now, let's get back to the boat."

So, as promised, a few notes and translations below:

1. Food — I appreciate that chicken and waffles is very much an American dish, with strong ties to the Southern states. However, in the course of my research, I did actually find a bistro in St. Julian’s, in Malta, where they serve this for brunch, so I did not — in any way! — take any creative licenses with that part of the story 😇

2. Language — Malta is an interesting place from a language point of view. While the official language is Maltese (which is a Semitic language that developed from a dialect of Arabic in combination with Sicilian — no, I didn’t know this either!), Malta was a British colony for about 150 years, which means that most people are conversant in both languages. In addition, due to Malta’s proximity to Italy, along with the influence of the Sicilian dialect on the local language, many Maltese people can speak/understand Italian as well. That said, Mario and Luca are actually Italian transplants (rather than Maltese), which is why they speak Italian.

3. Translations — As mentioned in my other fics, I HC that Drake is fluent in both French and Italian. Here are the translations:

- Mon coeur: lit. ‘my heart’ but connotatively means ‘my love’

- Putain de bordel de— : For fuck's—

- Ciao, bella!: Hello, beautiful!

- Sì: Yes

- Come stai?: How are you (doing)?

- Sto bene, grazie: I’m doing well, thanks.

- Sorprendente! Parla italiano? Hai un così bell'accento! Tu che sembri— : Amazing! You speak Italian! You have such a beautiful accent! You sound like—

- Piacere: Pleasure (as in ‘pleasure to meet you’)

- Bene: Good/great

- La mia taglia la so: I know what size I am

- Noto: Noted / I see

- Salvagente: Life jacket

- Lo spogliatoio è laggiù: The changing room is over there

- Grazie: Thanks

- Congratulazioni: Congratulations

- Quindi cosa dopo?: What now?

- Suegitemi: Follow me

- Bellissimo: Beautiful

- Era un corsaro, non un pirata: He was a privateer, not a pirate

- Perché sono mezzo americano. Ma mia madre è di Cordonia e anche io sono cresciuto lì: Because I am half-American. My mother is from Cordonia and I also grew up there.

- Ah, sì... Cordonia. Bel paese. Belle donne: Ah, yes… Cordonia. Beautiful country. Beautiful women.

*Big Melon: So, while looking for a translation of Big Apple, I learnt that in Italian, apple = mela, which I thought looked and sounded surprisingly similar to melon (melone), hence the small linguistic in-joke. Similar case of lost in translation with Guinea pig vs hamster. I know, I’m sad… ignore me 😆

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Picture credits:

Hydroboarding - Harper - Drake - Malta

#surf's up!#harper gale #drake walker #drake x harper #the royal romance #uncharted #h&d honeymoon #tales from the gypsea #drake walker appreciation

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pricechecktranslations · 23 days

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Hello, I'm the owner of the Traditional Chinese Evillious translation blog you and an anon mentioned, thank you for the mention! I have a question to ask, how do you translate novels so fast? It seems like you can get a book done in weeks, and I have been translating for almost three years and I haven't even have three DSoE novels translated. I really admire your determination and quick pace of how you do your work.

You're welcome! And hmm, that's not an easy question to answer.

I think it mostly comes down to experience. I wasn't always that fast--when I first started it would take me a few months to translate a novel rather than a few weeks. My Japanese wasn't as good and there were a LOT of things that I needed to look up extensively to understand them, or phrases I wasn't used to and so had no idea how they should be translated.

I think the biggest thing that's helped is just improving my fluency in Japanese. I was attending college courses on Japanese during a huge chunk of my translations, and after graduating I also studied a bit more to pass the N3 and N2 levels of the JLPT. So while in the beginning it was something of an active struggle to get the books translated, by the end here I could translate pretty much at the same speed as I could read (granted, I'm sure the prose style in my translation is a little dull as a result).

There's other little things too--I'm a fast typist, I have some interest in creative writing so words come naturally to me, etc. But I do think it's one of those things where the more you work on it, the easier it gets over time. It definitely takes a while, though.

#also to be fair the most recent book i did was oss punishment #which is shorter than most of mothy's other novels #and mothy's prose in it is very fast-paced #also i was going full speed ahead because i wanted to see the reveals in it #generally i wouldn't advise translating for more than 6 hours a day unless that's your job

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corvid-language-library · 29 days

Text

2024 Goals Monthly Check-In

I actually didn't do this last month because I was ill all of February and didn't make much/any progress with anything so I felt it was kinda pointless 😅 Let's see where I'm at now!

Japanese

1) Reach ~N3 level - I've not really been focusing on this so much. I've started using HelloTalk again and occasionally trying to learn a little new N3 grammar/kanji/vocab, but I should probably study in a more focused way.

2) Learn 10 songs by heart to a level where I could sing them at karaoke - Oh yeah I haven't worked on this at all, I kinda forgot it was a thing lmao

3) Finish reading another book of short stories - No progress made whoops. I try to read articles on Todai/NHK Easy a bit more but I've not touched my short story book.

4) Finish both Minna No Nihongo books - I'm about halfway through unit 11, so I'm a little behind but not too much. Hoping to finish unit 11 tonight and unit 12 at some point this week, but we'll see what happens!

Norwegian

1) Read at least 2 books in Norwegian - Not started yet

2) Maintain an overall B2/C1 level - I think I'm maintaining, but I need to immerse more for sure

3) Finish Enjoy Norwegian textbook - I've completed unit 2 so I'm a little behind where I wanted to be, but I should be able to catch up relatively easily.

Life in Japan Goals

As with last time, I'm just gonna focus on the goals where I've made progress rather than listing all 11. So:

1) Get my hair cut - Did it! And it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be :D

4) Have a 10-minute conversation with a native speaker in Japanese that’s not an italki lesson - I managed to chat with the hairdresser, so I can definitely say I did this!

6) Go to the dentist - I've booked an appointment and I'll be going next Monday. Absolutely terrified :D

7) Go to a prefecture I haven’t been to before - I went to Tochigi last weekend!

11) Be able to point to every prefecture on a map and name their capital cities - I can still more or less do this, but I sometimes mix up some prefectures or can't quite remember a capital

Non-language

1) Read 36 books - I've read 11/36 books, which means I'm 3 books ahead of schedule.

2) Complete a first draft of a novel manuscript - no progress made lol

3) Comfortable two-block oversplit with back bend - my oversplits are there but they feel very tight and not comfortable, so I need to work more on them.

4) Consistently hold a handstand for 5 seconds - I can barely balance on my hands at all atm lmao but I'll keep trying

5) Noticeably improve my demi pointe - I'm using the strength in my feet a lot more than I used to but I'm not getting much higher. I'll keep at it!

Health/diet goals under the cut:

Diet & health goals

1) Tackle my diet soda and sugar addictions - I've come a long way with the binge eating! I bought a multipack of chocolate marshmallow biscuits and managed to just take one with me to work every day instead of sitting and binging the whole lot. And right now I have a family-sized bag of mini eggs in my cupboard and I'm managing to eat a controlled set portion each day. I still mess up my diet sometimes, but I'm very happy with how I'm doing!

Diet soda is still a huge problem though lol

2) Slim down enough that none of my clothes are tight anymore - I look and feel SO much better about myself! For ages I've not wanted to dress up nicely because I felt like I looked frumpy or chubby or shapeless in my nice outfits. But when I was packing for Utsunomiya, I tried on all my cute outfits and I thought they looked good! I still want to lose a bit more so that I can see my abs, but I'm really happy with my progress here.

#2024 goals #nutcracker norsk #nutcracker nihongo #jackdaw in japan #a rook reading books #flight of fitness #chough chatterings

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tessa-liam · 1 year

Text

Marabelle

🔻 Prologue:

The Royal Romance, an AU series

Series premise: An American teenager from New York city is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobles, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret?

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC (Sophia)

Other Pairing: Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC (Daniel)

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except Sophia Taylor and Bethany Beaumont.

Rating: M *Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language. Please excuse all errors.

Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff

Words: 874, Read: 4 minutes

Music Inspiration: Everybody Hurts by Tina Arena

A/N: My submission for @choicesflashfics Week #17, Prompt # 2 “Does it ever stop hurting?” - “No, you just make room for it.” @choicesficwriterscreations

A/N2: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the US; is Barthelemy Beaumont’s 2nd wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) was Bertrand’s mother.

A/N3: My submission for Maxwell Beaumont Appreciation Week @maxwell-beaumont-appreciation

Marabelle

Prologue:

Sophie Taylor was excited but also nervous about this new adventure. Stepping out of the airport terminal, she breathed in the warm, fragrant air of her new home.

She never imagined that she would ever be living in a different country, across the Atlantic Ocean; let alone starting her first year of studies at the University of Cordonia in the Fall.

Graduating from high school two weeks ago, she was leaving behind everything she ever knew about life.

But ever since her mother was diagnosed with cancer last Christmas, Sophie knew that her mother would start planning for her to live with her aunt in Cordonia when she passes. It was just a matter of time.

Her father had died tragically, four years before, while on the job as a firefighter. Having no siblings, or other relatives living in the U.S., she would be all alone if she stayed in her home.

Interrupting her thoughts, she heard her name being called. Sophie turned to see a familiar face in the crowd gathering at the luggage carousel, waving at her frantically.

“Sophie!” Maxwell cried out as he ran up to her.

“Max, it is so good to see you!” She dropped her luggage and allowed her cousin to fiercely hug her as she hugged him back in return.

Like Sophie, Max would be attending U of C, in the Fall. Even though he was in his fourth year master's program, Sophie welcomed the fact that she would know at least one other person on campus.

Her cousin Bertrand stepped up next to greet Sophie. Always the nobleman, he lifted her hand to place a kiss.

“It’s so good to see you. I hope your flight was comfortable.”

“It’s great to see you again, Bertrand.”

Her older cousin was the Duke of Ramsford, who in effect had assumed the responsibilities of his father as the patriarch of Duchy Ramsford. Her Uncle Barthelemy was currently in a coma with his health in decline. His doctor forbade his current wife, and his sons, from visiting him at the personal care home in Vallenheim, claiming that it was a directive given to him by Barthelemy himself.

Inside the town car, travelling through the Cordonian countryside to the Beaumont estate, Sophie and Max were deep in discussion getting re-acquainted after not seeing each other for a couple of years in person.

“Are you excited about starting classes in the Fall? I know you will love it there...I have so many things to show you!”

Starting her MBA at the University of Stormholt in the Fall, 17-year-old Sophie was anxious about having to adjust to not only losing her mom, but also navigating a new school environment.

“I am so grateful that you will be there. I feel like a ‘fish out of water’ in so many ways.” Sophie’s lip quivered and her hands started to tremble.

“Gosh Soph, I am so, so sorry for rambling on. I cannot even imagine the level of stress you are under.”

Maxwell wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug.

“What about you, Max?

Uncle Barthelemy won’t let you visit him in the hospital. That must be so hard to deal with for you and Bertrand.

Does it ever stop hurting?” Sophie asks.

“Well, no, you just make room for it.” Maxwell sighs.

“It is what it is, Maxwell. There is no point dwelling on it.”

Changing the subject, Bertrand asks,

“Sophia, I know that you love horses. How would you like to adopt a horse for your very own?”

Bertrand had information on a retired derby racer that needed a new home. House Beaumont had a horse stable and was considering adding more horses.

“Really? That would be wonderful...but, I do not want to be a bother.”

“Nonsense! Consider it done!” Bertrand smiled.

“Welcome to House Beaumont, Sophie!”, Maxwell announced, as the town car slowed to turn down the long drive of the duchy.

Looking at the beautiful estate owned by her Uncle Barthelemy and Auntie Beth, Sophie appreciated how far away from her hometown of New York City she really was.

“Yes, welcome home,” Bertrand smiles fondly.

Tagging tumblrs showing interest for this fic from Sunday Six. Please let me know if you want to be added or removed⚘️@angelasscribbles @kyra75 @mom2000aggie @ao719 @writing-not @busywoman @703cowbarn @princess-geek @kingliam2019 @txemrn @harleybeaumont

#maxwell beaumont #maxwell beaumont appreciation #the royal romance #liam rys #trr #the royal romance fanfic #choices flashfics #cfwc fics of the week #prince liam #trr liam x oc

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withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus · 22 days

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Could you give some advice for your language learning journey (material wise and also how you stay motivated)?

Hello! ^^ Well I'm not an expert but I will try to help. So, to get something clear about my journey, I didn't get a good start by myself.

Journey part (feel free to skip it if you wish, I just felt some context might help with motivation cause I'm a slow learner and struggled to find my pace, as well)

I started listening to Japanese music in 2012, but only found the motivation to start learning the language in 2015. I'd already heard I needed to learn hiragana and katakana first so I was discussing that with a friend, who had then suggested me a YT channel, which I unfortunately no longer follow, but basically there was a dude who taught people how to play Shogi, the Japanese chess, and just so happened to have a playlist with teaching people how to write hiragana and katakana. The reason why she suggested that guy was because she too wanted to learn obviously and found that his explanations were very good and he also wrote the actual characters during the recording so that you could copy it. Nowadays that is so easy to find though, like, I don't know if you've already learnt yours, but if you haven't, try "how to write hiragana & katakana" or sth similar. There are so many Japanese people teaching stuff on YT nowadays that will be the easiest thing to find. After that, I wanted to learn some kanji obviously and get into grammar. That's how I had learnt English too, so essentially, my thought process was trying to imitate what my English teacher had done while teaching me when I was little (In Greece we learn foreign languages in more detail in separate schools from our main ones hence why I personally went for that.) So I kept searching and found JapanesePod101 but quickly realized any free materials were limited so I kept looking and found a grammar guide which I still have and I could mail it to you if you want, but it was a bit too much, I have to warn you. I also found a list of kanji for N5 level and started copying them in a notebook. Some people learn easier by just repeating stuff out loud, personally I am the copy paste type, so I wrote for example one kanji, then covered it with another object and tried to write it from memory and then again and again. 10-15 times depending on how difficult I considered the kanji. But then came the problem of motivation. I wasn't studying as much as I wanted and I felt I needed a teacher, not only so that I studied more but also because I needed sb to tell me when I am doing sth right or wrong since I had 0 knowledge of the language. I got lucky and there was 1 Japanese woman who was teaching in my island and her prices were low so I discussed it with my family and we agreed I could give it a try. All that happened in 2018, so I kept trying by myself for 3 years without significant progress. So this woman had me sit a test to see what I knew so far and then we started having lessons in a class normally. And that's how I actually got to learn part of the language well. In 2020 it was I think, that she decided to drop teaching for JLPT and do only speaking cause she herself learnt any languages she spoke without learning grammar, or writing and yeah we had a big disagreement on that and well I left cause I wanted to learn the language as a whole. That woman could speak 4 languages but all broken and I wanted to be fluent. So then I looked around, found nth on my island, but thanks to the whole Covid situation more schools in my country had started distant learning programs so I found another school in Athens within the same year and continued with them. The lady teaching me there was more of my kind of educator so I kept learning with her until last September. The reason I stopped was for finances and also because I had learnt all the grammar I needed for N3 but lacked severely in kanji and vocab so I felt it was better to take sometime to enrich those and keep revising my grammar until this December when I hope to eventually try the test.

Advice

I will list materials in the next paragraph, I will stick to motivation and advice for this one. Unfortunately I can't be very spot on this, cause each person learns differently, but I think that if you lack motivation there are 2 ways to approach it: The romantic one and the logical one. The romantic one is finding a passion around the language to keep you going and the logical is to find an affordable teacher online.

When it comes to passion, this is what drives me in life and I don't know if I should suggest it to others, but passion has taken many people far in life, and the fact I am personally failing doesn't mean it's a bad approach xD. That's how I learnt English too. It is expected from every kid in Greece to learn it, but I was begging my parents before I even knew that was expected of me cause I absolutely loved foreign music and I wanted to understand the lyrics. I was obsessed and still am. Just the thought of being able to understand all those songs, and later, when I realized how commonly used it is, that I could explore stuff and meet people from every place in the world only added fuel to my fire. And the same thing happened with Japanese. I was soooo mad I couldn't understand what my favorites said, not every band had translated material online and I needed to know. Although, to be fair, there was more to it, it's my dream to work with these people so if I wanted to be serious with my goal, I had to learn the language and be able to communicate with them. So yeah, if you have any passion around your target language it helps. Be it arts, travelling, making friends, you name it. Only you know your own desires. However yeah, if you are dealing with mental illnesses or ADHD or several other factors that can affect your mood and learning flow, passion alone can be tough to use, hence why I too needed sth more than my romanticism to get a solid start.

As for the logical part, I think it speaks for itself. It's so much better to have sb keeping you on track and that I think is sth that worldwide approach to education is responsible for. We weren't taught many things by ourselves as children, there was always someone more knowledgable leading the way. So yeah I think it's important to have sb, either local or not who knows the language better than you, around, at first at least, so that you get a feeling of the language, if you know what I mean. Japanese is a language with completely different writing system and grammar rules than most western languages so, it's really hard expecting your brain to figure everything out by itself. Part of me thinks it's easier for Chinese people, because their writing system is similar (I could be wrong) but for a person not born around Asia, I think we all struggle, especially those of us with motivation and self-discipline, when it comes to education, issues.

So yeah, all in all I'd suggest you did both, like find sth that you know will benefit greatly from your learning the language and a teacher. However, if you are as shy as me or freaking out as much as me about how legit some online app with teachers is, I'd suggest you looked for either institutes or solo teachers in your region first, and only if you find nth, proceed with online stuff. I am in no way saying that you can't find a good teacher living somewhere else, I just personally freak out about money transactions with other countries, or if I don't know how legit the app is, fearing I will get scammed and stuff like that. Mostly irrational fears. ^^' And don't get too stressed about doing this long term. Even 1 year of studying with someone else might give you enough of a gist to continue by yourself. ^^ You will have established a routine with them, which you could then continue on your own instead of trying to make up a routine blindly.

Materials

Let's talk materials now.

If you are the book type, like me, you might benefit from a Genki book. Now you've probably heard of people tearing this book apart about how "not good" it is, but I learnt quite a lot from it and it's very beginner friendly imo. I have an archive link with both the 1st and 2nd Genki (https://archive.org/details/Genki/Genki-ElementaryJapaneseWorkbookI).

But these are just for some basic grammar and reading. You can't learn only with those. When it comes to your kanji, sure you can learn from Genki's list, but they are not very accurate to the level of the book. For example, the first Genki book has kanji I came across with my 2nd teacher in N4 class and she was shocked I knew them already xD. I was like "It was in Genki!" and she was so mad xD. She was making her own content for her lessons and using some photocopies from another beginner Japanese book I forget rn. But yeah your go-to for Kanji for N5 and N4 is "Nihongo Challenge N5-N4". For higher, I'm afraid there isn't one of the same name and you will have to turn elsewhere. (I have a pdf of that book if you want it too, feel free to send me your email address and I will send it ^^) As for vocabulary, I'd suggest "Tango 1000 Essential Vocabulary for the JLPT N5". Very good book. There was sb who had uploaded it on YT and I'd swear I had the link to it but can't find it in my bookmarks for some reason. That I have only in physical form I'm afraid and it's a bit tough to find for free somewhere, but if you find a link or choose to buy it, it's so good!

For listening, I'd suggest you started with a few simple ones like those in JP Launch (https://www.youtube.com/@JpLaunch). I haven't tried their grammar videos so I dunno how helpful those are, but their listenings are nice for a start, after you've learnt some basic vocabulary and grammar. You can search their channel for N5 listening or N4 or whichever is your level and you will get plenty of stuff. ^^ And each listening includes unknown words you might hear during the exercise so that you can jot it down and learn them. ^^ That is another big thing I'd suggest btw. Apart from a notebook for copying kanji and words however many times you need to learn them, I'd suggest you had one more, preferrably with many sections, I forget their name in English, in which you will be noting every new word you find. Cause learning vocab from lists is one thing but you might find many new words through texts you read and listening exercises. Keep track of them and learn them whenever you can. I personally have mine separated by hiragana so that if I ever find a word that looks familiar but can't remember if I've learnt it before, I can go to the hiragana it starts with and find it easier. That way I also know which words I need to revise. When you've learnt everything from these books and want to try mockup tests, straight up search JLPT N5/4/3 whatever and listening next to it on Youtube. There are many of them and, even though they are a bit simpler than the originals, they help a lot with testing what you get by ear. And they also have the solutions after each question or at the end of the video so that you know how well you did. ^^

For full mockup test papers I don't know what to suggest. I must have some in pdf still but most stuff I have are N4 if you want them.

As for where to look for teachers in case you find nth closeby, I found several on a site called italki. I eventually never contacted anyone but my first teacher had told me to search there so I bet they are legit. I remember there was a specific system with which I had to pay that I didn't like but you might not mind it.

What else.....I think I covered everything. You might find useful material in the official JLPT page too, for each level. I remember searching there before. Oh and try to write sentences. When you learn sth grammatical for example, try to write 5-10 sentences using it. You won't be able to test how well you did without a teacher but it's important to try, imo.

But yeah if you are an audio learner, do consider Japanese cinema and series as well. Anime can be fun but they usually speak slang or ways that most Japanese people don't use. Both my teachers had told me that. When you get more familiar with the language sure, try them without subs, but as your starting listening material, nope. Jrockers do tend to speak in ways you'd see in anime, and so do people in the gaming and anime fandoms too, but outside of those spaces not so many do it.

As for a dictionary for words and how to write each word: https://jisho.org/ It's super good! It has words, it has conjugations, sentence examples, little gif-style video for how you write each kanji to know with what turns you write each line, etc. Amazing site!

Aaaand finally for the speaking part, I have 0 suggestions. I too agree with people saying you need sb else to talk with to get used to it. So yeah if you can approach sb on social media, good, otherwise try Hellotalk (app) or Tandem (another app for language exchange)(haven't tried them yet but people on reddit say they are good).

ps: don't go hard on yourself if you can't study for hours on end. Just make sure you can free 30 minutes for it every day at first and with time you can get to more. I started with 20 minutes a day due to trauma, I used to study way more when I was still at school but being forced into a uni i didn't want ended up with me having hard time studying for even 10 minutes, but then slowly through learning Japanese, because I liked studying it too, it got to 20, then 30 and now I can read from 1-2 hours a day. Take it slow if you have to, just don't skip days unless you absolutely have to, cause that's how you break a routine and can be tempted to not go back to it.

-----------------------

That was too long, I apologize, but I really hope sth out of everything I mentioned helps. It's a tough language and keeping up greatly depends on sth that keeps you going back to it, I believe. If you are not naturally drawn to learning many languages for the fun of it, you need sth to hold on to it, so do look for it and hang on it for dear life. Also, I came across this video the other day, I've yet to check the list she mentions, I don't know if it's free, but she also mentions a site named Refold that has many free resources if you want to check it out. Here's the vid I'm talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyEioinPKvk

Best of luck and I hope you find the type of resources that are more of your type asap so that you get to learning asap too! ^o^/

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