| In Love And Lore | Sparring Headcanons |

| in love and lore | sparring headcanons |

okay, so no one asked for this, but....

i always planned on the boys eventually teaching mc to fight, and after this ask, these thoughts have been living rent free in my head. i may or may not have also worked on these instead editing the next chapter, but wanted to share these with you too. maybe, it’ll serve as something short and sweet until the next chapter?? which should still come out here in a few days. anyways, i hope you enjoy! :)

(individuals below cut)

also, if any of you are new, these are some headcanons based on my fic i'm currently writing. if you wanna check out, the link to the masterlist will be just below.

| in love and lore |

~

let’s be honest, they were all surprised when you came to them asking to learn how to fight.

you’re not a violent person and has always been against violence in the past, so you saying you wanted to learn how to fight was surprising.

you may insist it’s purely for self-defense (you can’t always rely on them to save you, despite their insistence they can and will) but it still sparks some interest in them.

okay, maybe a more than just some interest.

they still want you to lean on them for protection, but man the thought of you in battle really does something to them.

jongho

jongho is the best fighter out of all of them, and the one you’re the most comfortable with in the beginning, so he’s tasked with starting your training.

he really is a good teacher, but can be a bit hesitant at times.

he just really doesn’t want to hurt you!

freaks out the first time he accidentally injures you bad enough to leave a mark.

you wave his concern away, healing it in a matter of seconds, but it still worries him and he’ll start pulling back again much to your frustration.

despite the annoyance of treating you like glass sometimes, he’s still one of your go to sparring buddies.

though sometimes he does prefer watching and teaching you from the side.

go ahead and spar with someone else and he'll give you pointers.

as long as it's one of the others though, he wouldn't dare let anyone else spar and potentially hurt you.

if the others don't mind giving you a few scrapes and bruises, he'll let them.

and he'll always be waiting on the side with some water and praise, telling you just how good you're doing.

yeosang

yeosang is also a little hesitant when it comes to you.

prefers doing archery with you than sparring since that’s what he excels at.

100% will take advantage of teaching you to shoot as a means to get close to you.

mentally and physically.

will definitely pull the move of putting his arms around you to guide your movements.

may or may not use his ability every once in a while to make you think you’re doing bad as an excuse to get in close once more to help see what you’re doing wrong.

what you don’t know won’t kill you after all

though he knows you’ll kill him if you ever find out, so better make sure you never find out

will ask to make a competition out of it.

you’ll take it up on him occasionally, but refuse to take him up on his attempt to give the winner a favor/reward

nope, you're not falling for that.

he’ll try to let you win occasionally to bode you into accepting his offer, but you’re not an idiot.

you know exactly what he's doing.

that's okay, though. he'll get you to accept one of these days. he's just got to be patient

hongjoong

you were really intimidated the first time hongjoong wanted to spar with you.

it was bad enough when he would watch you with the others, but sparring with him was something else altogether.

doesn’t use his full potential, but not as hesitant as some of the others.

and once you grow more comfortable around him, fights get a little more interesting.

definitely the most heated out of all on them.

the first time you land a blow on him, you get so excited, knowing you actually did that and it wasn’t him just going easy on you.

may or may not rub it in his face and proceed to get a flurry of hits coming back at you in your distraction in retaliation.

of course, he feels bad when he injures you, but the way you pout is so enticing.

and not to mention he’s always there to offer to massage your sore muscles for you afterwards.

you refuse, but the flustered state it leaves you in has him repeating the offer.

but he really is proud of you and loves seeing how proud you are of yourself.

that and now he has an excuse to drink your blood, something he would never turn down.

now he’s just waiting for the day you’re comfortable enough to take him up on his offer.

wooyoung

smug bastard.

uses it as an excuse to just tease you.

doesn’t even try to hide his intentions and will do and say anything to rile you up.

his haladies mean he’s used to fighting up close and personal, and he’s more than happy to get in close with you.

genuinely just wants to spar with you to get you flustered.

you know this, but you’re also determined to wipe that smug look off his face by beating him.

whether or not you’ll ever achieve that though, who knows.

may or may not use his weapons against your clothing.

never in any intimate places, of course, he respects you too much for that.

but there’s no harm in showing a little skin, is there??

it’s a good thing you’re clueless or he knows you would kill him.

will never let you win a fight, but will let you injure him.

anything to have a taste of your sweet, sweet blood.

that and he loves the faces you make when you think you're going to win only for him to swiftly turn the tables back on you.

you know full well what his intentions are, but the longest you lasted was one day before you gave in.

if only to shut him up from all the complaining he was doing.

san

san is always down to spar with you.

in fact, he’s down there in the fields even when you’re not sparring with him.

he can’t help it though, he loves seeing you with a weapon in hand.

doesn’t tease you as much as wooyoung does, but succeeds in getting you riled up in other ways.

is it hot outside today, or is it just san??

oh well, he better take his shirt off and make sure he doesn’t overheat.

most likely to pull this move when your sparring with someone else.

you do your best to ignore him, but he can see the way your cheeks tint.

and the way you falter in your next move.

as much as he enjoys watching you though, he loves it if you watch him.

can and will get the majority of the others in on his antics, and absolutely relishes if you were to sit and watch him spar with one of them.

and if san is out there shirtless, you can guarantee he won’t be the only one for long.

may or may not get so caught up in trying to impress you that he and the others won’t have noticed you weren't even there anymore.

but that’s okay.

the way you’re struggling to hide the emotions running through you from the bond tells him and the others everything they need to know.

yunho

yunho is also hesitant when it comes to sparring.

honestly, the best teacher out of all of them, especially when he realizes it’s a great excuse to get in close to you.

oh, your posture isn’t right??

yunho’s there with a gentle hand at your back to fix it for you.

is your grip on your weapon wrong??

yunho is also there to fix it for you, guiding your body through the motions a few times before continuing the fight.

if you’re frustrated and need something to work your emotions out, he’s also you guy.

will let you beat your frustrations out on him before offering you emotional support in the end.

fights usually end with the two of you laying on the ground, exhausted, both mentally and physically.

loves how bashful you get afterwards, apologizing for dumping your life on him.

but yunho wouldn’t have it any other way, absolutely loving that you would open up to him in such a way.

mingi

mingi is one of your favorites to spar with.

though his expertise is in throwing weapons, it didn't take long to begin sticking with weaponry that stays in your hands.

you both had come to that agreement after the first few times he had tried to reach you to use his chakrams.

even without his ability, mingi’s aim was near perfect.

yours on the other hand, not so much.

he freaked out the first time you accidentally cut yourself on them.

he wanted to stop there, but you simply waved him away as you healed it.

the time you hit mingi though was a different story.

this time you were the one freaking out, mingi, on the other hand, relished the reaction it pulled from you.

if the way you looked at him wasn’t enough, it was you quickly offering up your blood to heal him.

and who was he to turn you down on such a sweet offer.

he's also a bit like san in the way he loves having you watch him.

the way you obsess over the chakrams after realizing how hard they really are is just too sweet.

the compliments, the praise.

it makes him melt.

seonghwa

not as playful or teasing as wooyoung and san can be, but pretty damn close.

it just depends on his mood

you can always count on him to use his ability to his advantage.

so much so, that you won’t spar with him anymore unless he doesn’t use his ability.

at times he really will try and help you hone your skills, pausing every now and then to help you fix your posture or point out the best way to counter.

but other times, he’s just there to get you all riled up.

will use his ability to pop up right behind you, whisper some teasing comment in your ear before teleporting away before you have time to retaliate.

but even when you don't allow him to use his ability, he's just as bad.

it gives him an excuse to stay up close, which is almost just as bad.

doesn’t have an issue with injuring you like most of the others.

would never do anything to seriously wound you, but just a few cuts here and there with his daggers.

after all, he knows you can just heal them up anyways.

and he can get a taste of your blood that stains his daggers

i hope you all enjoyed! i know i had fun writing them. if you liked this sort of post and want anything more like it, feel free to send an ask my way!

Stay

archer!yeosang x princess!reader

friends to lovers au

genre and warnings: fluff, angst, violence warning

word count: 18.6k

synopsis: you encounter archer yeosang not in the sports competition you had just sneaked out from, but in the forest where he saves you on your way to meet your 'boyfriend'- you're not sure what to call him. yeosang doesn't recognise you as the princess of this nation, however, you encounter him again as your replacement tutor and you become friends with him, sharing problems you face and sneaking out with him because you crave adventure. you find yourself falling for him because he makes you feel like no one else, and he finds himself falling for you but he thinks he's not worthy of you- even when you tell him again and again how brilliant he is. will he end up staying?

The air was filled with the cheers of the athletes, of the women wooing over the young participants, of the men howling in glee because they had waited the whole year for this day. The day where everyone- from the most royal to the peasants- gathered under the same sky, bathing under the same sun. The day where everyone had an equal chance of winning- if they were blessed with the right skills. The Athletics Championships- the annual sports event where people of every status, regardless of gender, participated. 

There was no shame in admitting that everyone from the oldest to the youngest throughout Eden waited eagerly for this day. The athletes practised all days of the year, stayed fit so they could show off. After all, a position in the palace and a cash reward wasn’t the only prize they won that day. Even the most lacking of the athletes could win someone’s heart that day. Since there was still a majority of men participating in the competitions, the women still new to being allowed to participate, the women were usually watching the athletes with eagle eyes- not for their skill alone. And the men never failed to show off- most of them anyway. 

You would have been one of those women too, but there were a number of things hindering that. Firstly, you were the Princess of Eden, seated right at the stage they’d had built for the royal family for the best view. That also meant the people could get the best view of you too, and you had to be cautious of where you let your eyes stray, of your reactions, which is why you opted to remain unfazed throughout the games, only clapping for the victors. 

Secondly, you had a really, really bad headache from the way the Queen, your stepmother, had chewed off your brains so early in the morning. His son, your stepbrother and the Prince of Eden, seated on your left was the only reason you could mildly enjoy the event. His mother might be an ambitious, greedy witch who wanted her son crowned the heir instead of you, but his son was very much the opposite, having little to no interest in the position himself, only doing it for his mother (at least, that’s what he insisted) and opting to fool around. The Queen scoffed loudly when his son passed you a bowl of candies and you took two, hiding it in your sleeve. She passed a glare to the Prince who only pretended not to know what it was about, making you smile a little at his childish antics. He was still a kid at heart.

Last, but not least, you couldn’t wait to get out. Yes, the competition was mildly interesting (mildly only because this time’s female competitors were giving the men a hard time and you enjoyed that and hoped you’d see more of them next year) and you were comfortable, but you had a little… date with your… boyfriend? 

You didn’t know what to call him. Yes, he was attractive, not bad to look at. He was a noble, and it made it easier for conversation to flow between you. He had a nice sense of humour (or maybe your scale of judgement had a very low base to start with). You two were friends, but at the same time, not really. And you two were dating, but not really. Currently, you were still figuring out why you were risking so much meeting a man in secret- the one you weren’t even sure about- yet. You hoped to be sure, though, soon. You just had to meet him a few more times, stop testing the waters and take a little dive, and see if he was someone you really liked.

You chewed loudly on the candy, earning some groans from the Queen. You glanced at her right where your father, the King, was sitting almost at the edge of the seat, looking as if he wanted to join the spectators instead since they could see the current game of fencing better from down there. You pretended to cough and your lady-in-waiting, Siyeon, took the signal and came forward, asking you if you felt alright.

“I just have a bad headache, is all,” you sighed loudly, making the Queen look at you two interact. 

“Goodness, you look pale, this won’t do,” Siyeon shook her head. “You should let me accompany you back for a while. A cup of tea or maybe some soup would do you good.”

“You can bring that here,” the Queen shifted in her seat. “We should maintain our attendance.”

“It would only take a few minutes, Your Majesty,” Siyeon insisted, bowing respectfully, and before the Queen could scold her, you got up.

“She’s right- I don’t want to create a scene here if I faint. I’m sure you wouldn’t like that, Your Majesty,” you smiled sweetly but the Queen could see right through you and she only rolled her eyes.

“You better be back before the hour is over.”

“You got it,” you winked at her, satisfied at the gasp that left her, grinning to yourself as you followed Siyeon. Once you were out of earshot, you slapped Soyeon playfully on the arm. “Nice work back there.”

“You’re going to get me executed, Your Highness, I haven’t even had the joy of marriage yet,” Siyeon grumbled, straightening her midnight blue gown, the uniform. “Please don’t take too long- I don’t want to go after you. In fact, going in the woods is a very, very bad idea- you’ll get lost, and I’ll get fired and executed for being lazy-”

“I’m glad you’re selfish,” you laughed. “I’ll find my way, don’t worry. Mingyu will be waiting, and he’ll make sure I get back safe. Just stay in my room and cover for me while I’m gone, will you?”

“I hope after all this trouble you go for this man, he treats you well,” Siyeon said and your smile didn’t meet your eyes. You entered an empty room outside your chamber, removing the outer layers of your clothes, the gown that indicated you were royalty, leaving you in normal clothes. You handed your tiara to Siyeon as well and she gave you the signal- no one would look at you twice today, at least. Not when you would be passing by as a noble woman, nothing more.

It was exciting, you had to admit. The thrill of sneaking out to meet someone- it would never get old. The way people met your eyes but didn’t look twice- it was refreshing, since all your life whenever someone dared look at you, it was either with wonder or fear. Mingyu, however, was different. He looked at you as if he was amused to find you to be the potential heir of the crown, and you couldn’t resist asking him what was so funny the next time you met him accidentally in the streets.

“I just think you’re too lovely to be wearing the heavy and dirty burden of the crown.”

“What makes you think I can’t handle it?” You had challenged, and he had laughed at that. 

“I never said you can’t handle it.”

You had smiled at that, and he had treated you to some ice cream, and you had found his company entertaining. You didn’t realise how you started encountering him more- in the palace when he came to meet a friend- which was an excuse to see you, or in the streets whenever you went out- having known from his acquaintances in the palace, but somehow, you didn’t mind him popping out of nowhere. He looked at you differently, and it got you.

You smiled at the thought as you navigated through the woods, the daylight a relief, trying to recall what Mingyu had said the last time he had come to the palace and sneaked into your room for a very short, dangerous moment to kiss your cheek and tell you to meet him in the woods near where the stream parted, when the fencing matches would start. You strained your ears to detect any signs of a stream but it seemed like you were still far. 

What you last expected was for two young men to spot you and grin at each other as they made their way to you, even when you had ignored them. They looked like they were athletes participating in the competition as well, since they wore the uniform. Perhaps they had come here as they waited for their turn, or perhaps they were done- it didn’t matter. It was your fault for thinking you could go alone in the woods on your own.

“And what’s a pretty little thing doing all alone? Lost?”

It was your fault. You rolled your eyes. “Making my way home- my brother’s picking me halfway. Have a nice day, gentlemen.”

You tried walking past them but they stepped in front of you. “We could drop you there- the halfway point.”

“There’s no need,” you insisted, this time pushing between the two and walking past, trying to ignore the way they laughed. 

“Why don’t you stop and have some fun with us? Won’t do you no harm.”

You should have turned and slapped them or punched them- you could do that. You had the training. But you did the most stupid thing you could have done. You ran- and that made them chase you as well. You couldn’t think straight- this was all so new, so you did the next best thing. You screamed for help, once, twice, before deciding the birds that were listening weren’t going to be much help.

But what you didn’t expect was the familiar sound of an arrow whooshing in the air and you only had a second to make a quick jump as you ran, the arrow lodging in the arm of the one who had been right behind you, making him stop and scream as he clutched at the arm. You turned back, trying to figure out the source, but you saw nothing. The second man who had been looking after his friend lunged for you but he, too, got shot by an arrow in the leg. You started running again, fearing you were next, finally hearing the damned stream and making the way there, hiding behind a rock.  

You watched the men struggling to run for their lives away from the stream and you sighed in relief, your breath catching when you finally spotted the person you definitely owed now- a young man with the most beautifully sculpted face you had ever seen, his physique radiating strength especially when he drew back another aimed arrow and put his bow down. You didn’t realise you were watching him shamelessly until he turned his full attention to you, flipping his hair back, and you immediately hid back behind the rock, praying to the heavens above that there was a small chance he hadn’t really seen you (even if you knew he had) or he would just call it a day and go back to wherever he came from-

“I saw you, you know.”

It was unfair, how even his voice had the strength to call your full attention- deep and rich, making you feel like it reverberated through your brain for a moment. You took a deep sigh- you had other problems to worry about, such as the fact that you were the Princess of Eden and this is the last place and situation you should be in.

“You do look awfully familiar, I have to say,” the man jumped in front of you and you put a hand on your heart- no living man had ever dared to pull such a stunt- not even Mingyu, yet. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m- I’m okay,” you managed to say, finally meeting eyes with him, finding them a rich brown. “Thank you for saving me back there.”

“No problem,” he looked down as he brushed his clothes. “But you shouldn’t have been out here all alone- not today of all days.”

“I was meeting someone here,” you explained but he shook his head, handing you his flask of what you presumed had to be water- he must have noticed how you were still out of breath. You took a swig, wiping your mouth with your sleeve.

“That someone must either live under a rock or must be stupid enough to call a girl here,” he frowned. “Men fool around here especially at events like these.”

“And why are you here?” You raised a brow, making him raise a brow at your sudden shift of tone. You were back to normal. “With an aim like that, you should be participating.”

He pursed his lips as he smiled. “I’ve got better things to do.”

“Like saving damsels in distress?” You scoffed, finally moving from the rock and going to sit by the stream, washing your hands in the cool water, wondering if Mingyu really was waiting. “Can you tell me where this stream parts into two?”

“Is that where you’re meeting whoever?” He asked, sitting a respectable distance beside you. 

“None of your business, but yes,” you sat cross-legged, retying your hair. It looked like he really didn’t recognise you and that was good. “So?”

“Just a few feet down the stream,” he pointed at your right. “Shouldn’t you go back though?”

“Maybe,” you shrugged, your shoulders slumping. “Can I just say he’s an asshole for asking me to meet there? He should have come to meet me! Why am I even making the effort?”

“Tell me more,” he turned his full attention towards you, resting his face in his hands, really eager as he waited. You glared at him but you needed to blow off the steam- the adrenaline from that experience was still there, and as someone who rarely encountered such incidents, you were finding that rambling was your coping mechanism.

“Yes, I’m meeting a guy. Here. Down the stream, actually. I’m not even meeting him anymore, he can go to hell. I don’t know why he thought I could even make it there or pass undetected. He really tests my patience sometimes.”

“And who is he? Your boyfriend?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” You shrugged and he gasped. 

“You don’t know? Interesting.”

“No, what are you doing here?” You scanned him. “Hunting? You do know hunting is banned in this part of the woods, right?”

“I prefer the term ‘practising’,” he straightened a bit. 

“Do you usually practise shooting on living breathing humans? Because if you do, we have a serious problem here-”

“Of course not,” he laughed a bit and you finally cracked a smile. “You really should go back- it’s going to get dark soon.”

“My time is up anyway,” you muttered as you got up, brushing your clothes and looking around. You had no idea which direction to go after running earlier. You asked him where the event was being held, making a story of how you sneaked here and your friends must be waiting. The way he looked at you made you wonder if he bought that story- he probably didn’t. He offered to drop you at the outskirts of the town and you agreed.

“I’m really curious though- why are you not participating? You’ve got a killer aim.”

He side-eyed you and you smirked. Groaning, he said, “I just don’t like being the centre of attention- not like that.”

You made an impressed face- you wished you had the luxury of deciding that for yourself too. “Well, I hope you’re doing something good or worthwhile with your skill. Wouldn’t want to put it to waste, would we?”

“I have better things to do-”

“You always do,” you interrupted and he smiled at that. 

“I just mean… I’m actually a strategist in one of the royal legions,” he admitted and you wowed at that- he was quite young. You thought strategists were always old or experienced people- at least from what you had seen. “So really, I do have better things to do.”

“Suit yourself,” you bowed in thanks when you spotted the hustle bustle of the town, the sound of the drums in the event not far. “Thank you for accompanying me.”

“Be careful,” he simply said, turning before you could ask his name. You would probably never see him again. You sighed deeply before making your way back to your chamber where Siyeon was already waiting, scolding you for taking so long. You didn’t tell her that you didn’t meet Mingyu, nor did you tell her about the person you had spent the hour with. However, he was all you thought about for the remaining part of the event, seated back as a royal. 

What different worlds you two belonged in. It was both thrilling and a little sad.

—------------------

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” you bowed deeply to your father, the King, before sitting down in front of him in his room. He watched you with mild amusement and you raised a brow in question, wondering what was going on in his mind. 

“Good morning to you too, I suppose,” he was taking quick puffs of his cigar. “Though I’m not quite sure it will be good by the time you leave this room.”

“Ah,” you scoffed, dropping all formalities since it was only father and daughter in the room- not king and princess. “Mother dearest must be on her way here.”

“With Chan,” he referred to his son, your stepbrother. 

“Isn’t that good?” You were smirking and your father practically glared at you.

“I don’t know why she thinks you are plotting something against Channie when you two are always partners in crime,” he shook his head, pinching his nose bridge. “If anything, with the relation you two have, you should be able to rule side by side, but-”

“But there can be only one ruler on the throne, for the peace of this nation,” the Queen entered, Chan right behind her who threw a wink in your direction. 

“For the peace of this nation, I never should have married you,” your father joked and the Queen rolled her eyes. “And then we wouldn’t be dealing with this… mess.”

“We’re a mess?” Chan put a hurt hand on his chest as he bowed and sat down beside you. “I bet your father thought so too, about you-”

“Chan-” his mother warned but you could barely contain your giggle and that made your father laugh too, making the woman shake her head in annoyance. 

“Anyways, back to business,” the King straightened and so did all of you. “The governors are all demanding a quick decision about who is going to be accompanying me when we go to the West. They think it would make a statement about the heir if I choose only one of you, so I’m suggesting you both join me.”

“Nonsense,” the Queen started. “Why would you take the Princess in a place where there will only be men? Just take Chan.”

“It’s not like there won’t be any women there,” your father began but you shook your head at him, asking him to not bother explaining himself. “Besides, she is older than Chan. He could learn from her.”

“If you insist, I’ll accompany you, but I think Chan should come with us too,” you looked at the Queen who narrowed her eyes as if you were cooking up a scheme. “I’ll feel more comfortable, and he should really start involving himself more in the court matters.”

“I don’t want to inherit the throne though,” Chan muttered, only for your ears. While the King and the Queen argued, you turned to him. 

“It doesn’t matter if you want to or not; you should still know how the court, how the palace works. That’s your duty, okay?”

“Okay,” he shrugged, “I know you’re only making me tag alone so you won’t be bored.”

“Duh,” you smiled and he grinned at you.

The King asked to be left alone after you two watched them argue senselessly for a few more minutes. As you exited the room, Chan scurried off before his mother could rant to him, which left you as her target.

“You,” she sneered. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re going to make a fool of my Chan and win your father’s favour.”

“In case you forgot,” you folded your arms, not bothering to be courteous when she always assumed the worst of you. “Chan despises the throne, and it’s not my favourite job either. We all know father only favours me because Chan hasn’t shown much interest.”

“That’s not true. He thinks you’re interested, and you’re older- that’s the excuse he always gives. Does he not realise you won’t make a good ruler?”

“And would you?” You challenged her, taking a step towards her, making her glare at you. “Aren’t you only pushing for Chan because you want to use him as a puppet while you run the palace?”

You didn’t wait for her response but got the satisfaction of her gaping at you. Siyeon, who was watching all of this from a distance, shook her head at the Queen and passed you a smirk as she fell in step with you, reciting your schedule. 

“Before you go to your room… there’s someone waiting for you in the guest chambers.”

You raised a brow and she nodded. You let her accompany you- it had to be Mingyu, and you were still a bit pissed at him. Siyeon made sure no one had followed you before letting you in, waiting outside.

“Your Highness,” Mingyu’s honey voice was laced with amusement and you got the sudden urge to accompany him to the palace prison. 

“I can’t believe you asked me to meet you in the forest, Mingyu,” you were angry and he was finding that funny, which was annoying you further. “As you suspected, I almost got lost and made my way back before someone would think my head was a nice place to land their weapon.”

Mingyu laughed at that, running a hand through his dark hair. “I waited for you, you know.”

“You shouldn’t have. Let’s not meet anymore,” you announced, about to turn back but Mingyu grabbed your wrist, turning you around and into him, putting a hand beneath your chin and lifting it up to make you face him.

“Did I ever tell you you’re cute when angry?”

“You don’t need to,” you scoffed but he had you- you were smiling now. “I know so.”

“Hmm, I like this confidence,” he tucked your hair back and kissed your cheek, making your hand go to the back of his neck, resting at the nape. “You know what else I like?”

“We don’t have much time, so shut up and kiss me,” you muttered and immediately, you two were tangling yourselves in each other as you kissed, fiercely and desperate, being chased by time. 

It was always like this with him. A few moments, stolen kisses, no promises of the future. No prying into each other’s personal lives. Just two people who got attracted to each other by chance, and decided to test the waters- you were sure he had better reasons for why he decided to play with fire, but you? 

Your cheeks would flame whenever you would think about it. You weren’t sure how much you liked Mingyu yet, but you did like him. He was smart, and comfortable to be with. As a Princess, you didn’t have the luxury to explore much, so being with Mingyu sometimes made you feel like you were in the clouds. He would listen to you if you had some steam to blow off, and he would kiss your worries away. So simply put, you were lonely, and he wasn’t bad to be with.

What Mingyu was expecting out of this, you didn’t know, and you didn’t want to know yet. He was a part of the court, though, and that was the only thing about him that set you off. People were always greedy for something. And you wished Mingyu was greedy for the right things- like you were. Greedy for love and acceptance. 

“Where are you?” Mingyu paused to look at you, caressing your cheeks. “You’re lost somewhere, aren’t you? Is something the matter?”

“Nothing,” you smiled weakly. “Just the usual. Have you been well?”

“I have,” he kissed your forehead. “I’ll be coming officially soon- maybe we could spend time together then.”

“I’ll see,” you assured him, pecking his lips. “I have to go now.”

Mingyu nodded, scanning your face with a smile on his face before he kissed you again and then let you go. You left first, spotting Siyeon who looked like she was going to have a stroke. 

“What took you so long, Princess?” She huffed. “My heart stopped like ten times whenever someone passed by and spotted me.”

“You’re too dramatic,” you laughed at her, letting her accompany you to one of the scholar’s offices, where you were getting trained in strategy. You made sure you yawned wide and good as soon as you entered, and the old man shook his head at you.

“This doesn’t work on me,” he let you know.

“I’m feeling sleepy because it’s you who’s tutoring me, Professor Seo,” you teased, joining him at the desk. “So? Let’s start.”

The day passed like any of the other days. Professor Seo told you to meet him in the library when you would be free from your duties in the evening, and though he was an old man and a boomer, if you were honest, you respected him as your teacher a lot. He had honed you into who you were. You owed him much more than that.

However, the last thing you were expecting was to see another presence with him, one that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

“This is Kang Yeosang, one of my friend’s son, a strategist in the royal legion in the North,” your tutor introduced him and the man first bowed to you, but as soon as he raised his head to look at you, he frowned.

And you frowned.

And then it clicked.

“Uh, nice to meet you,” you glared at him a bit as you shook his hand, silently asking him to keep his mouth shut. However, he was thoroughly amused. 

“The pleasure’s mine… Your Highness,” he almost mocked and you two took a seat, your teacher looking between you two.

“Have you both met before?”

“Not at all-” “Never-”

“Alright, I get it,” the old man sighed. “Your Highness, I have an urgent matter to attend to in the North. I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you in your lessons, which is why I arranged for a replacement.”

You made an impressed face. “He’s… quite young for your replacement, I must say.”

The two of them laughed at that. “He’s the best I could offer. He’s a… prodigy, if you will. And if you like him better than me, maybe I can finally retire.”

“I got used to you, so I don’t know about that,” you fiddled with the hourglass on the table as you thought. “Is everything okay in the North?”

The old man looked at Yeosang and he cleared his throat. “There’s some conflict at the border, which he must inspect. I may be a prodigy but I’m not more experienced than him, which is why he suggested that we shift.”

“I understand, and I hope you return back well and healthy,” you smiled at your teacher and he relaxed visibly, making you roll your eyes. “It’s not like I was going to, I don’t know, throw a tantrum about you going. In fact…” you looked at Yeosang, “I think I’ll enjoy his company more.”

“No funny business, you hear me?” He pointed at you two and Yeosang raised his hands in surrender. “She’s quite difficult to handle, but hear me, Princess. He’s here for a reason. He’ll tame you.”

Yeosang coughed at that and you shot him another glare- he was making it too obvious now. Thankfully, the old man got up and told you both to acquaint yourselves, leaving you two alone in the library, both of you mirroring each other’s posture and expressions- folded arms and sceptic looks. 

“So, Princess,” he started. “I believe this is the first time we’re officially meeting.”

“Officially, yes,” you nodded- no point pretending that time in the forest three days ago didn’t happen. “Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, roasting some squirrels in the forest or shooting strangers?”

“And shouldn’t you be on the way to meet a certain someone-”

“Not one more word about it, not here, you hear me?” You were almost whispering, to his amusement. “The palace has ears everywhere.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about anything,” Yeosang adjusted the collar of his shirt as he spoke. “We’re meeting for the first time. It seems like I’ll be your replacement tutor for a while, so I expect you to match my pace. Let’s be punctual in the mornings, shall we?”

“Of course,” you almost scoffed. “I’m guessing my dear old Professor must have complained.”

“Not really,” Yeosang leaned in, as if sharing a secret. “I figured you’re that type of a person.”

“Really?” You leaned in as well, more surprised to see him not backing off like others would. “What made you think so?”

“What do you think?” He almost laughed, getting up. “It’s getting late so let’s continue this tomorrow.”

—-----------------

“I can’t believe you asked me to be punctual and all when you’re late yourself and you’re trying your best not to doze off.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep last night- Professor Seo took me out for drinks to introduce me to his friends here and you know how it gets…” Yeosang faltered when he saw your annoyed face. He smirked. “Are you the type that’s a teacher’s pet? Because you seem overly eager to be tutored-”

“I’m not,” you groaned, sighing deeply. “But you yawning widely when I’m reciting what I’ve learned so far really was the last straw.”

“I was only yawning, doesn’t mean I wasn’t listening,” he raised a brow and you glared at him.

“Did you hear the part about how I have to go to the East with the King?”

“You have to go to the West,” he smirked and you grinned. “See? I was listening.”

“I can’t concentrate if you look so sleepy, though,” you pouted. “It will make me sleepy too.”

“Then let’s just ditch all this,” Yeosang practically threw the register on the table to your left. “And take a little nap.”

“I ought to tell Professor Seo-” you were about to get up but Yeosang laughed, holding your sleeve and pulling you down and you raised a brow. 

“What?” Yeosang scoffed. “Don’t expect me to apologise or something. You still owe me for saving your life back there.”

You were the Princess of Eden, possible future Queen of an entire nation. But this individual seemed to not care about your status or the fact that you could end his career or life with a mere command alone. Perhaps because he had seen you as a damsel in distress, or perhaps because he was just like this. Peculiar. Interesting, even.

You rested your face in your hand, elbow on the table, as you stared at him. “I thought I told you to forget about that. It never happened. Nothing. Erase it from history.”

“I wasn’t aware the Princess of Eden had such secrets,” he mirrored your position. “And I wasn’t aware she was someone who took favours for granted.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? Pay you in gold? I can do that if you’d like.”

“I’m not interested in that, sadly,” Yeosang sighed as if it really was such a shame that he wasn’t. “I’m a rather humble person, which is why I only ask that we do not pretend that it never happened. I have an unfortunate habit of teasing, and if you can put up with it, that would be enough.”

“You’re an interesting person, Kang Yeosang,” you said and he smiled cheekily. “And your methods of teaching are also unconventional.”

“This is my first time tutoring someone,” Yeosang admitted and you were surprised at that. “So you can expect that. I think strategy is better learned from practical examples than by theory. And you don’t have to stick to battle. In your position, if you’re not strategic with every step you take, people will take the chance to pound at you from all directions.”

You considered that for a moment. “Did Professor Seo tell you something?”

“What he told me was enough,” he admitted and you relaxed- if he was someone Professor Seo trusted, that meant you could trust him as well. After all, the Professor was more a father than your own. “I still have to ask one question, if you would be so kind as to answer.”

“Go ahead,” you urged him.

“Why are you not interested in the throne, apart from the obvious reasons?” Yeosang leaned in, pushing back his dark hair. “You seem to have a rebellious streak within you, and I’m not sure why you’re not attracted to that offer- you could break the norms in Eden by being the first true Queen of Eden.”

“I know how big that sounds,” you sighed. “I’d be setting an example for all the females ahead- that there doesn’t necessarily have to be a Prince who rules the throne, but a Princess too. All these years in Eden’s history, if the eldest was a daughter, she would be considered negligible.”

“That’s right,” Yeosang nodded. “And Prince Chan isn’t too interested in the throne either. Everything seems perfect, yet…”

“Yet,” you almost smiled. “Do I really have to? I mean, I could. I’m ready, even, it’s what I’ve been trained for my whole life. Besides, my father, the King, would like me as his heir too. But as a person… I think I’m not good enough for that job. I have a few threats on my head if I am appointed the heir too, so I can’t jump on that chance without taking care of that matter- unless I’m okay with getting murdered which frankly, I’m not because I haven’t even lived yet-”

There it was. Yeosang’s knowing smirk- and your rambling mouth that was your besetting sin. Yeosang cocked his head. “You want to live a little, don’t you? Before you inevitably become bound forever? Is that why you’re risking so much meeting strangers in the forest?”

“First of all, you have no right,” you sneered but when he didn’t so much as twitch, you slumped back. “But yes. I guess so. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I don’t want to stop, yet. And anyways, our time is over,” you pointed at the clock. “Let’s continue this later, I have places to be.”

“Of course,” Yeosang nodded, resting his head on the table. “I’ll be taking a little nap here. You can go, Your Highness.”

You got up and stared at him, making him open one eye. “What?”

“I hope you won’t be rambling off whatever I said when you go to one of your drinks or something,” you muttered. 

“I’m not the one with the big mouth here, Your Highness- ow!” He rubbed his head when you not-so-gracefully threw your pen at him. You left, laughing loudly to annoy him but you could feel him smiling even though you couldn’t see him.

You didn’t know what it was about him that made the flow of conversation easier, that made you ramble without a second thought, that made you answer his very personal questions even when you hadn’t allowed this luxury to Mingyu, but… he really was an interesting person. You were having the sudden urge to ditch your next lessons and talk to him more, get to know him and judge him, see if he could be of more help, but you reminded yourself this was only your second (or third) meeting and you should take it slow. 

You shouldn’t make the same mistake you did with Mingyu.

Again, you found yourself pausing- whatever you had with Mingyu was a mistake, and this was the first time you admitted it to yourself. But… not all mistakes would bring bad consequences, right?

—------------------------

A few days later, Yeosang and you decided to take a walk around town- another one of his unconventional teaching methods. You were to dress as a noble lady, not the Princess, and learn the art of blending in.

You were also finding him wiser than you had initially thought. You two were crossing the road that led to the middle of the town from the palace when he explained the purpose of today’s lesson. “Strategy for you, Princess, is the art of disguising. When you are in the middle of planning an actual strategy for let’s say, a situation at the border or potential battle threat, or even civil war, would you trust everyone who’s in the same room with you as you plan?”

“I suppose not,” you nodded, adjusting your hanbok, walking comfortably for now due to the lack of the passersby. “As a Princess, I can trust no one. Not even family.”

“Exactly,” Yeosang clapped once. “You are capable of making several layouts in your head for any plan, I’m assuming?” When you nodded, he continued. “Real strategy lies in letting those people hear what they want to hear but doing what you want to. Please them but use them.”

“Ah,” you smirked to yourself. “I’m good at that.”

Yeosang gave you a doubtful look. “So, to make it seem legit, what will you do? You will need to blend in- not just in appearance, but in emotions, in their feelings. Now, we’ve almost reached town. I’ll let you lead and give you my judgement on our way back. We’re shopping in the marketplace first, and then we’re having lunch in public.”

“I wonder who allowed you to take me without guards-”

“I am the guard, in case you forgot,” Yeosang proudly pulled at his clothes and you scoffed. “I’m an excellent archer. Need I remind you how I-”

“I don’t see your bow and arrow today, though,” you pointed out. Yeosang paused as he looked at you.

“What makes you think my aim with daggers would be any weaker?”

“Wow,” you were actually amazed this time. “Maybe I should have paid attention when they were teaching self defence.”

“It’s never too late,” Yeosang resumed walking, urging you with a casual hand on your back. “Everyone should know the basics so they don’t encounter a situation like you did in the forest.”

“You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?” You asked, tensing when you saw a couple looking in your direction and scoffing. Yeosang smiled to himself, not pausing, his hand keeping you walking as well. “Why did they laugh at us?”

“Why do you think? Now stop looking like you’re about to commit a murder and blend in.”

“But I am-” you shut up when you two took the final turn that led to the marketplace and this time, Yeosang let you take a deep breath as you took in the scene. 

There were people of all ages in the market- from old people who couldn’t even walk properly to kids running around, a group of them circling around you as they chased each other, making you almost yelp. Instinctively, you tried hiding behind Yeosang but he shook his head- this was your mission, after all. Blend in. the question remained- would people recognise you? Would they look at you twice?

“You have to stop at at least three shops and buy three things of different categories. So let’s start,” Yeosang said as he smirked. You glared at him before holding your head high as you walked. 

“Do you think you should walk so arrogantly?” Yeosang leaned in to whisper in your ear and you swatted him away, thoroughly annoyed.

“You think I can’t blend in? Fine- I’ll show you how good I am at it,” you said and didn’t bother waiting for Yeosang as you marched to the stall selling some candy. 

“What’s this called?” You asked the shopkeeper and both him and Yeosang snorted.

“It seems like she’s not from around here,” the shopkeeper smiled at Yeosang. “It’s called marshmallows.”

“Yeah, I’m not from around here, so I wouldn’t know,” you smirked at Yeosang and he raised a brow at how you had managed to twist the situation in your favour. “Is it a local delicacy? I haven’t seen it in the West.”

“Ah, yes, you wouldn’t see it in the West, I suppose,” the shopkeeper folded his arms. “Which ones shall I pack? They all taste the same so choose your colours- and add some flavoured jelly with it.”

“Hmm, let me see,” you took in the variety of the pastel marshmallows. “A few of each would be nice.”

The shopkeeper packed it for you with sticks for both of you and Yeosang paid for it. You were smiling cheekily at him as you waited for him and he scoffed when he saw you. “The day is not over yet.”

Yeosang wasn’t very surprised when you managed to shop for a few trinkets, a calligraphy brush and even a neck scarf. He had already judged you to be quick at adapting. You didn’t attract much attention at all, and he found you relaxing more and more as the day passed. Lunch was normal as well, choosing an outdoor dining as you ate noodles. However, the real test would be when someone would recognise her.

And he was going to make sure someone did. While you were busy admiring roses at a flower shop, Yeosang called a group of kids over and whispered what they needed to do, handing them some coins. The kids disappeared, unnoticed by you. However, as you turned, the kids (excellent actors, Yeosang laughed to himself) halted when they spotted you.

And you halted as well, frowning. Had the kids recognised you or what?

“Are you the princess?” One of the girls asked and you let out a nervous laugh, peeking at Yeosang who was currently too interested in his fingernails. 

“I told you, she is,” a boy elbowed her. “I saw her at the Athletics Championship.”

“You’re lying,” another girl argued. “Why is she not wearing her princess outfit?”

You snorted at that and the kids looked at you. “What? Do you think the Princess even sleeps wearing a fancy gown?”

“She doesn’t?” the first girl frowned. 

As the kids bickered among themselves, you turned to Yeosang. “I thought you could do better.”

“What?” Yeosang pretended to feign ignorance and you rolled your eyes. You were about to tell the kids to scoot off, but a woman came rushing towards the kids, scolding them for straying too far. You watched them, forgetting everything else for a moment until the woman looked at you and gasped.

“Your Highness!” She bowed deeply, and the kids burst into an excited fit that panicked you and you looked at Yeosang who was equally surprised. So this wasn’t planned…

“Your Highness?” A man who had been passing by also followed the woman’s suit and you groaned.

“Please, rise,” you commanded and they did, and you looked around, grateful for the lack of audience. “I am visiting town unofficially, so I hope you’ll keep my presence a secret.”

“Of course,” the woman nodded. “I’m a palace maid- you probably don’t recognise me. I’m happy to see that you’re out of the palace! You’re always inside- I hope you enjoy today.”

You were surprised at that- not her being a palace maid, but her observation about you. You thanked her, and the man grinned at you as a sign that he would keep it a secret as well and when they were gone, you finally looked at Yeosang who looked a little guilty. “Do I look that much of a bore?”

“What?” Yeosang laughed, not expecting that question so not understanding what you meant either.

“I mean,” you sighed. “The woman basically said that, right? That I’m always cooped up in my room?”

“Was she wrong?” Yeosang scoffed.

“No, which is why it hurts,” you laughed sadly. “I need more adventures in my life-”

You spotted a familiar face in the crowd- Mingyu. What were the odds? 

“Uh, Yeosang,” you kept your eyes at Mingyu who was alone, thankfully. “Do you mind if I go meet an acquaintance?”

Yeosang followed your gaze, right beside you. “Oh, is that the boyfriend? What a coincidence. I promise this was not arranged by me.”

“I know,” you tapped his arm as an indication that you were going. “You better wait right here- I’ll be back soon.”

Yeosang watched you boldly walk to the man who had to do a double-take as he saw you, and then you both disappeared in the alley, Yeosang laughing silently to himself. He had to admit- he was curious about what exactly was the relation between you two. He resorted to sitting on the bench and staring at the sky, while you?

You practically dragged Mingyu in the alley, the two of you stifling your laughs and hiding in a corner, you two were all over each other. You two were kissing like you were teenagers who had snuck out behind their parents’ backs, like you were past curfew. When you finally broke apart, Mingyu was grinning. “What are you doing here, Princess of Eden?”

“I was out with my tutor on a mission- blending in with the crowd,” you wiggled your eyebrows at him. “We haven’t properly sat in so long, Mingyu. Are you ever coming to meet me properly, or should I forget about you?”

“I promise I will,” Mingyu rubbed your arms. “I might get a job where I’ll have to frequent the palace often, so I’m concentrating on getting that first.”

“Really?” You were pleased. “What job?”

“My dad’s sick, so he might push me to handle his current affairs,” he said and you recalled how his father was a court member. “Let’s see how it goes.”

“Yeah, I’ll… look forward to seeing you,” you smiled at him. “I shouldn’t keep him waiting- I should go.”

“Okay,” he pecked your lips. “Go.”

Though you had just met your ‘boyfriend’, you didn’t look lovestruck, Yeosang thought, as you walked to him and joined him on the bench, slumping down with a sigh that made him feel as if something was bothering you. Yeosang simply offered you the same candy bag and you took some, the both of you staring at the sky.

“If you sigh anymore, I’m going to have to assume you broke up.”

“It’s not that,” you laughed. “It’s… I don’t know. He’s not my boyfriend, by the way.”

“Yet…” Yeosang raised his brows.

“Yet…” you sighed again. “He makes me forget that I am a princess when I am with him.”

“In a good way or a bad way?” Yeosang asked and you frowned- you had never had anything to compare it with, but today…

Or rather, with Yeosang, you hardly felt like a princess at all as well. And though Yeosang obviously treated you like just any other human… it was somehow better than Mingyu walking on eggshells with you or looking at you as if you would break. As if you were brittle- that you couldn’t bend, you’d simply break. So you only shook your head in answer, and that was enough for Yeosang. 

“Can I confess something?” You asked and Yeosang shrugged. He didn’t seem like someone who would judge you. “I don’t think Mingyu is the type of person I’d be happy with in the long run.”

“Ah, so that’s the name-”

“I think,” you ignored him, finding the fluffy clouds in the sky strangely comforting. “I think we’re both using each other one way or another. He’s handsome and I’m not the prettiest girl alive, so I wonder what he’s using me for. It’s obvious why I am, but I don’t think I want to know why he is. I don’t think I’d like the answer.”

“Then you don’t need to ask the question,” Yeosang commented. “You could part ways on good terms too.”

“That’s true,” you looked at him, smiling. “You know, you’re feeling more like a friend than a tutor or whatever you’re supposed to be. I like it.”

Yeosang put a hand on his chest and for a moment, you thought he was touched, until he said, “Then I have failed.”

You smacked his arm harshly and he laughed, shaking his head. “You’ve never had a friend, have you?”

“There’s Siyeon but she’s more like an elder sister,” you admitted. “Also, tell me you think of me as a friend too. I’d be hurt if you don’t.”

“As you know, I’m not the type of person who cares whether you’re hurt or not,” he brushed his clothes, getting up and offering you his hand, which you took as you got up as well. “But I think we could be friends. Only when I’m not tutoring you- I don’t want you to have the upper hand.”

You squeezed his hand, grinning. You could work with that.

—-----------------

“I can’t believe I thought you wouldn’t suck so much,” Yeosang was shaking his head in disappointment and you aimed an arrow at him. He didn’t even flinch when you let it loose- he already knew by what margin your arrows were always off, and he didn’t need to move- the arrow flew well past him. 

“It’s insulting that you didn’t even flinch,” you were laughing in disbelief at his guts. “How are you so good with all this calculating and aiming?”

“I grew up surrounded by archers,” Yeosang admitted, collecting the arrows as he walked around. You slumped down on the bench, waiting for him to continue. “I still think your case can be improved, so let’s not give up.”

“You remember what we promised, right?” You wiggled your brows at him and he rolled his eyes.

In the course of the past few days, there was a certain air of comfortableness between you two, growing casual with each passing day. As a tutor during the early hours of the day, you stopped giving him a hard time (only because you had the rest of the day to annoy the fuck out of him) and focusing on what he taught you- he was brilliant, you had to admit. He had taught you more tips and tricks than you had learnt in the entire course of your life. You would never admit that to him, or even to Professor Seo since he had shaped you at a good pace, but he really was amazing.

He kept insisting that you get basic self defence training before you go to the West. The civil war threat was still growing and the locals there were kind of brutal. You agreed that you’ve had enough of being the damsel, so you were going to learn to fight, at least enough to not get yourself killed in a stupid way. And Yeosang had been kind enough to try to teach you, albeit with little progress in the past two days.

Today, though, you struck a bargain with him- if your aim got better today, he would help you sneak out at night so you could meet up with Mingyu. 

Though he pretended to puke at the idea of it, he agreed only because you thought you wouldn’t get any better. He didn’t care if you met Mingyu or any other person, he didn’t care what you did with them, as long as he wasn’t involved, but for someone who didn’t bat an eye when others would very well crucify you, he was awfully curious. You were guessing curiosity was his besetting sin. Or maybe because you were the Princess of Eden, he was taking more interest in your life than he would have in any other person’s. Whatever the reason, you didn’t mind. You were very used to people prying into your private matters, but Yeosang was different- you just knew he didn’t have any evil intentions.

“You won’t ever hit your target at this rate, let me show you,” Yeosang said as he got up, making his way towards you. He stood next to you with his own bow and arrow, instructing you on how you should place your legs, how taut your arms should be, how you should hold the weapon properly.

“Like this?” You mirrored his position- or at least tried. He didn’t look satisfied but he nodded, urging you to try. You did, and surprisingly, this was the first time you hit the target on the tree, though you had almost missed it. 

“Again,” he instructed and you did, twice, watching him walk around you as he checked your posture. “I need your full focus on your target, not on me.”

“Yes sir,” you muttered, trying to pry your eyes from Yeosang who, frankly, looked absolutely ethereal in the glow of the sun. It was unfair how handsome he was. Sometimes you wondered how his parents looked like to have a son who looked like him. 

“Let me,” Yeosang met eyes with you, his hands raised in the air in front of you and you nodded. He fixed the position of your bow and then stood beside you, prying your fingers loose and positioning them correctly, his hands unexpectedly warmer than you had expected. With a hand on your back, he muttered instructions- which parts to relax, which parts to stretch, and the way his hands travelled all over your upper body-

Even though you were wearing a good amount of layers, you had to suppress the shiver with all your strength. Especially when he stood right behind you, snaking his arms around you as he positioned the bow and arrow.

“Shoot,” his breath caressed your ear and you were sure that was why you let go of the arrow, instead of the command. Yeosang drew back, clapping. “That’s much better. Let me see,” he said, standing in front of you and scanning you. 

“Relax that frown,” he pointed at your forehead. “And exhale with the arrow. Come on.”

You shifted your focus to the target and did what he said- this time hitting the arrow only a few inches above the bullseye. You lowered your bow, sharing a grin.

“See? Now you only gotta practise. And for the aim, try shooting daggers as well. Let’s do that next time.”

You continued to practise, your aim getting much better, while Yeosang lied casually on one of the benches, reading a book- or pretending to. You were pretty sure he had passed out at some point, and when you couldn’t shoot any more arrows, drained, you made your way to Yeosang, glancing around for any maids or guards- after all, you were still in the palace. Finding none, you flicked Yeosang’s forehead to wake him up-

Which resulted in him grabbing your wrist before you could blink, scaring you for a moment before he relaxed, letting go. “Sorry, I thought it was someone else.”

“Who would dare?” You rubbed your wrist, trying to calm your pounding heart. “You’ve got killer reflexes.”

“I do?” He laughed, tapping the space beside him and you sat down, stretching your arms and legs as you sighed deeply. “You’ve gotten better.”

He was staring at the arrows lodged in the target board. You grinned. “Now you’ll have to sneak me out.”

“I shouldn’t have helped you,” he shook his head but gave in. “As promised. But if we get caught, come up with a story before they send me for execution.”

“Of course,” you promised. “He’s coming tonight, you know. Mingyu. Should I see him before dinner or after?”

“Before would be better, night time makes everything more suspicious,” Yeosang ran a hand through his hair. “But then… everything is so visible before the sun sets down.”

“Night time is better,” you were thinking to yourself, folding your arms. “I can make the excuse of feeling under the weather and retiring early from my activities, and then wait for him in one of the guest rooms. All you have to do, Yeosang dear, is keep watch and alert me with three knocks on the door so I can sneak out from there and run.”

“What would happen if you got caught?” He asked and when you narrowed your eyes at him, he explained that he was just curious.

“I don’t know, actually,” you took a deep breath. “If it gets public, I guess the people will frown upon me, and then father’s plan of making me his heir would get more complicated.”

“You don’t seem particularly sad about that,” Yeosang observed.

“Well, it seems like I’m not hungry for that power yet.”

Oh, power was boring- you had seen enough of it in the two decades of your life. Sure, it had its perks- especially when you get to pull rank at times, however, once you took the crown and ascended as Queen, the little freedom you had? It would be gone like it was never there to begin with. So, yes. You did not like the idea of being his heir- at least not yet, and you were pretty sure you would never-

“Ah, so you’re simply hungry for an adventure,” Yeosang’s eyes practically gleamed as he made the connection.

You supposed he was right. After all, why were you still agreeing to meeting Mingyu, sneaking around the palace like a rat, walking on your tiptoes afraid of getting caught, all for someone you weren’t even sure about? Especially when you finally entered a guest room, finding that the thrill in your heart was not because you finally got to see Mingyu after so long but because of the excitement that came with the process?

As Mingyu smirked and walked towards you with light steps, tucking your hair behind as a greeting, you wondered if there was something lost in you. You wondered if you would ever find true love in your life- the kind of love they talked about in the books, the kind of love that people gave their lives for. Mingyu was not that person for you. And what turned you off the most about him was that he never tried to get to know you. Yes, he would listen when you would talk, but he never asked questions. He wasn’t interested in you.

Which meant there had to be something else that he was interested in. As far as you knew, he was only meeting you. He didn’t have someone else in his life, so what was he after?

“You feel so distant tonight,” he commented as he caressed your face. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just tired from all the practice,” you passed him a weak smile and he didn’t probe further, fishing out something from his pocket.

“Remember when we met in the market?” He grinned, “I may have gotten you something.”

You made an impressed face and opened the box- it was a necklace with a little golden heart pendant, intricately carved. “It’s pretty. Thank you.”

“You like it?” He pressed a kiss on your temple and you nodded, shy when he let his nose trace the angles of your face, his breath caressing you. “What else do you like, Princess?”

Well, the one thing he was good at was… whatever he was doing right now, snaking his hands around your waist and pulling you forward as he kissed you, letting his lips trail down your neck, peppering kisses and sucking at a few spots, drawing the collar of your dress away and making you gasp, drawing it away even further-

“Wait,” you suddenly pulled back, drawing your dress up and frowned when he looked disappointed. “I- I should go, we don’t have the luxury of time, Mingyu. Not right now.”

“It’s okay,” he got up and straightened his clothes. “I should leave anyway. My friend is waiting for me right outside the palace gates.”

“Oh, okay,” you nodded, getting up yourself. “See you soon?”

He smiled, tipping his hat before leaving and you didn’t realise how long you kept staring into the distance until Siyeon finally entered after a knock.

“Are you okay, Princess?”

“Ah, yes, I am,” you nodded. “Just taking a breather. Let’s go.”

You made your way to your room, not noticing Mingyu walking not towards the palace gates but to the direction where the Queen’s private chamber was. However, Yeosang who had forgotten his book in the library noticed Mingyu conversing with the Queen herself, hidden from sight- anyone else would not have noticed but Yeosang was more observant than the usual person. He wondered why the two were talking, dismissing it as their private matter, but as he tried to sleep that night, he kept wondering if you knew that the Queen and Mingyu knew each other enough to meet out of plain sight.

—------------------

“I didn’t know there was a place like this in the palace,” Yeosang commented, looking around after dusting himself. You passed him a grin.

“I found this when I was 11,” you told him. “My mother used to come here when she wanted to get away from things- I once followed her. After she passed away, I forgot all about this place until one day, I found myself walking here.”

“I can see why she would want to come here,” Yeosang folded his arms, nodding.

Away from all the hustle and bustle of the palace, at the far-east corner of the vast gardens that stretched at the borders, there was an opening in the fence, hidden from the overgrown vines. You supposed when your mother was alive, she must have maintained the place, but now… it was just a collection of forgotten memories, dust and overgrown plants. The hut was dark and home to spiders and other animals- you never dared go inside, preferring to rest on the stairs that overlooked the pond and the large tree which was the highlight of the little place- purple flower petals crowding the ground and the pond.

“Ah, there’s a cat here now,” you waved at the cat but it sneered at you before taking off, making Yeosang chuckle as he sat beside you, peeking inside the veranda. “What a rude cat!”

“You’re the one disturbing the poor cat’s peace,” Yeosang commented. “So? What are we going to do now that we’re here?”

“Well, I don’t know, not study for once?” You narrowed your eyes at him- he had been pretty strict with keeping the studying schedule. He had also been strict with your other classes- you were pretty good with weapons now- Yeosang would never admit that, always dismissing you off as ‘average’, but his proud cheeky smile? He couldn’t hide that. 

“Ah, so it’s just you and me then, huh?” Yeosang asked and you poked your tongue in your cheek as you wondered how to respond to that. He seemed to realise that and he shook his head. “I mean, as friends? That’s how we decided to go, right? Unless you’re planning to bury me here… pretty sure no one would find my body if you do-”

“Yes, let’s just talk and relax, and by the end of it I will decide if I really want to bury you here,” you passed him a sarcastically sweet smile. “Have you heard from Professor Seo yet?”

“I received a letter today, he’s doing fine and the situation is handled, but he decided to visit his family before returning,” he told you and you found yourself more relieved than disappointed about his late return. Yeosang spotted that right away and smirked. “Pleased that he’s not coming back soon?”

“He’s kind of boring and you’re… kind of not?”

“Why did that end as a question?” Yeosang frowned and you shook your head. 

“Anyways, you said you wanted to talk to me about something- what was it?” You asked and saw him visibly struggle as he decided whether he really wanted to say it or not. “Just spill- don’t make that face.”

“Well, it’s about Mingyu- let me make a few things clear first,” he cleared his throat and you raised a brow. “I am not interested in your relationship with him or whatever you do, and I don’t mean to pry, but what you said about him wanting something from you…”

“Well?” You urged him.

“Do the Queen and Mingyu know each other in some way? Because I checked and Mingyu wouldn’t need to privately converse with the Queen over his work matters.”

You felt your heart sink at that but tried to think rationally- maybe the Queen spotted him and called him? Maybe she found out about you two? But you couldn’t help but think of the worst- that the reason Mingyu was wasting his time on you had something to do with the Queen.

“Again, I could be wrong,” Yeosang sounded cautious. “Maybe it was a one-time thing and you don’t need to worry about it, but… you’re the Princess. You always have to be cautious, don’t you?”

“You’re right,” you nodded slowly. “It could be anything, but I have to be cautious. Thank you for letting me know, by the way,” you smiled at him and he pursed his lips, nodding. 

“I’ve ruined the mood, haven’t I?” Yeosang said after a moment and you finally huffed, laughing. “You said you wanted to ask me something as well?”

“Oh, yeah, did I?” You laughed nervously and Yeosang frowned in confusion.

For the past two days, you had been meeting with your father who decided he would have both you and Prince Chan accompany him to the West, despite the continuous attempts of the Queen to somehow make him choose their son over you. You felt better since Chan would be there and you wouldn’t be alone with the King and the generals and whatever officials you were going to find there, but you had an idea-

“If I asked you to accompany me to the West, with the King and the Prince, two days from now… would you agree?”

Yeosang raised a brow. “Is there a specific reason you want me there?”

“Uh…” Was there? “Just… it won’t be as awkward with you there, I suppose. Chan has his own friends there and I know as much as he likes me, he doesn’t like me enough to call me a ‘friend’. Besides, you’re a great strategist, Yeosang. We could actually use some help there. You’ll of course be representing me if you decide to go, so the court members realise I don’t have allies myself-”

“You don’t need to explain all of that,” Yeosang laughed to himself, shaking his head at you. “Come on. You’re the Princess. All you had to say was ‘it’s my order’.”

“I would have added it in the end,” you muttered, slumping but he knew you wouldn’t.

“You’ve warmed up to me, huh? Just admit it- you don’t want to die of boredom there. I make you laugh, I keep you on your toes, I even let you take those naps when we should be studying-”

“Fine, yes, you’re mildly amusing. I won’t say I’d die of boredom without you, okay? Don’t think too highly of yourself-”

Yeosang leaned forward until he was inches away from your face, making you blink in surprise. “But I think you would,” he almost whispered and when you didn’t push him away or respond, he seemed to realise just what position he was in, drawing back smoothly. “Talking about boredom, is there something fun to do right now?”

“I have dice hidden here somewhere,” you jumped down, pretending to search under the stairs while calming your pounding heart and trying to ignore the knot in your stomach. “Here it is. Let’s play?”

—---------------------

You were finding it extremely hard to get Yeosang alone once you arrived at the town in the west of Eden, where the Westerners were going to have meetings with your court to try and resolve the political problems they had with the King’s policies. The reason the King, his children and a good part of his court went themselves was a sign of good gesture- that you all were willing to listen and resolve this peacefully, but this was also a warning- that you would be assessing the situation and taking appropriate and immediate measures according to it.

However, you were warmly welcomed by the dwellers, and a large amount of the first few days were spent partying. You were, of course, the Princess and with that title, you had to display a certain amount of elegance, which Yeosang made sure to roll his eyes at whenever he came into your vision. He also made a note of telling you “I can see how hard it is for you to hold back” which only made you restrain yourself with a smile since the public was watching.

However, Yeosang clearly hadn’t expected you to sneak out in the middle of the night, leaving Siyeon alone in the room and tiptoeing to Yeosang’s room, following Siyeon’s map that she had drawn on your hand after you had begged her to let you breathe. Your heart was rhythmically matching your excitement, but you paused before you knocked on Yeosang’s room-

“Are you sure you and Yeosang are just friends?” Siyeon had asked.

“Of course we’re just friends, what are you implying?” You frowned.

“You’re different when you talk about him,” Siyeon smiled knowingly, which only confused you further. “I’ve not seen that smile once before. Not even with Mingyu.”

“Get your head out of the gutter,” you had muttered and she had laughed it off, but now that you stood-

The door slid open and Yeosang couldn’t keep from mumbling a curse when he found you standing with a hand outstretched. “What are you doing at this ungodly hour, Princess? And outside my room? Finally decided to kill me in my sleep?”

“It’s not even midnight yet,” you rolled your eyes, making your way inside his room and Yeosang watched you, peeking outside to see if you had eyes before shutting the door. “I knew you would be awake. Are you busy?”

“Not really, no,” Yeosang sat down on the couch, ruffling his hair. “Was just about to sleep, as you can see,” he pointed at his pyjamas. “Is something up?”

“I thought we could… I don’t know. Sneak out and enjoy the festival. I know we decided not to go because of security measures, but I learnt from my very wise tutor-” you pointed with both hands at Yeosang and he groaned, “-that the art of disguise comes handy. So we’ll blend in tonight, you and I, as civilians. No one would recognise us anyway- not when we dress up all fancy and… voguish, like them, eh?”

You could tell Yeosang didn’t hate the idea because he was not kicking you out of his room. “You do realise what you’re saying, right? You didn’t drink, did you?”

“I’m perfectly sober, thank you,” you got up and unbuttoned your cloak, revealing a pair of red jewelled velvet tunic and pants, and you revealed your hair tied in a bun- a mess of braids and curls. You waved your matching red mask at him as well, laughing when he gaped at you. “I’m ready. Are you?”

After a few protests and you dragging Yeosang and throwing clothes at him after shuffling through his bag, earning snarky remarks and how you looked ‘overdressed’, you finally got Yeosang to change. He looked perfect in his black outfit with a jewelled jacket, and then you made him sit on the chair in front of the mirror so he would take care of his hair.

“Don’t make me comb it myself,” you scoffed. “I haven’t ever done even my own hair apart from a ponytail, just so you know.”

“Snobby little princess-”

“It’s because I naturally suck at it,” you slapped his head and he glared at you, wondering why he was even doing this. 

“You know,” he started parting his hair to one side, shrugging because if he was going out anyway, he might as well look the best. “All you have to do is be yourself. People won’t recognise you even if you wear your crown over your head.”

“That’s insulting,” you leaned in the mirror, cleaning your slightly smudged lipstick. “But also, somehow good to know.”

Yeosang shook his head, finally done and you gave him an okay. “Now, how do we sneak out?”

“Leave that to me,” you smirked.

A few minutes later and one guard down after a random rock fell on his head (only knocking him out, you told Yeosang), you were in the brightly lit streets, the noise of the people and the music almost overwhelming, but even Yeosang was surprised how perfectly you two blended in- you had clearly planned this long ago. You stopped at a stall to get some cake and you slid down your mask, peeking around but no one recognised you- you felt safe.

“This is stupid, but I can’t say I’m not enjoying,” Yeosang took a bite of the cake. “I mean, when will I ever get the chance? The Princess of Eden in the streets with her replacement tutor, unrecognisable.”

“We’re friends,” you narrowed your eyes. “If you’re still calling yourself my tutor, go home, Yeosang.”

“I don’t know when the boundary blurred,” he pondered.

“Probably when you saved me in the forest,” you muttered. 

“Ah, saved you, did I?” It was the first time you had admitted and you scoffed. “If we hadn’t met that day, would we be here right now?”

“Maybe,” you shrugged. “What do you think?”

Yeosang looked at you as he finished his cake and waited for you to finish yours before stepping forward and you almost jumped when his hands went behind your head to untie the cloth you had been using as a mask. He locked eyes with you. “Can I?”

You didn’t nod but he presumed to tie it around your neck like a bandana, and he rested his hands on your shoulders when he was done. “That’s better. You look beautiful.”

As if just realising what he had said, he abruptly drew back, clearing his throat. “Evil. I meant beautifully evil. Or evilly beautiful?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, smacking his arm. “You don’t have to be awkward about it, Yeosang. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

You were the last person to talk about being awkward when you stood there with a silly grin until someone asked you two to move. You took a deep breath. “Let’s go watch the games?”

You got the first row in the audience that stood to watch the fire show and you didn’t realise that you had been holding on to Yeosang’s arm when he guided you through the crowd, but he didn’t mind- he liked it when you squeezed it whenever you were surprised. At some point, Yeosang himself had stopped watching the show, instead watching how your face looked in the glow of the fire, how your eyes reflected your excitement which was contagious at this point, how your red plump lips parted and pursed. He was smiling faintly when you caught him staring at you.

None of you looked away. You raised a brow. “Bored?”

“Not at all,” he shook his head. “Just want to get some air after this ends.”

“Let’s go right now,” you told him and he insisted that you finish watching the show because according to him, you looked like a cat who had seen a mouse for the first time, but you only held his hand and dragged him, almost exiting when you met a pair of mimers.

“Ridiculous,” Yeosang laughed when they started mirroring your movements.

“That’s not how we look,” you pointed and they mirrored that as well, making you gape at them. “That’s a personal attack! Choose someone else from the crowd!”

Yeosang burst out laughing at that and the mimers continued to mirror your exasperated expressions and movements, until Yeosang grabbed your hand and started running away, the mimers mirroring even that and following you, making all of you laugh because this was unbelievable but fun. The two of you kept running even after you had lost them and just when you were about to stop, Yeosang spotted them and slid into a dark alley, turning you and making you stop against him as he rested against the wall, out of breath.

“They’re right outside,” he whispered, shaking his head as he laughed. “Don’t move.”

You nodded, aware of your hands on his chest and shoulder, aware of his hands holding your wrists loosely but not letting you go, and you rested your head against his chest, out of breath as well. “Tell me when they’re gone. Or should we give them a little scare?”

“I’ll tell you when they’re gone,” Yeosang said and you hummed in agreement, not daring to move but feeling glad when you felt his tense body relax against you. His hands slid down your arms but didn’t let go, and even when he saw the mimers leave the area, he didn’t tell you. 

He wanted you all to himself just for a little longer.

And that realisation made him so utterly confused. He hadn’t intended to cross the line, yet… he knew you two weren’t friends at this point- at least he wasn’t, because he was falling. 

But you still liked Mingyu, didn’t you? Even when he had told you about the Queen and Mingyu’s meeting, you met him twice after, and Yeosang helped you. You told him you wanted to feel him out and see what exactly he wanted so you could catch him in the act, but… he was starting to realise why he hated it when he saw Mingyu touch your face- that guy was clearly not sincere.

Were his own feelings sincere then, he wondered. Is that how you felt about Mingyu? Unsure but wanting?

“They’re gone,” Yeosang finally whispered and you took your head off after a moment, looking up at him and finding him incredibly close. You grinned and let go of him. “Well, that was an adventure right there.”

“That sure was,” Yeosang brushed his clothes and you walked back to the streets, just walking and chatting and grabbing more snacks until you both were very tired, which was when you decided to walk back, sneaking past the guards into Yeosang’s room which was thankfully on the ground floor. 

Yeosang shut the window behind him and you secured your cloak, smiling at him and asking, “Tell me how tonight was. Tell me honestly.”

“Well, Princess,” Yeosang stepped in front of you, smirking and flicking your forehead. “It was the most fun I had in a good few years.”

“Really? You’re not lying?” You asked and he nodded, crossing at his heart. You smiled wide and slumped in relief. “Glad you don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, why would you think that?” Yeosang’s voice was incredibly soft. “I like you. A lot. I like whatever we have, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I just hope you don’t forget all about me when you’re busy or when I have to go, y/n.”

Your heart did a somersault and you took a step towards him as well, almost closing the distance between you two. “This was the most fun I had too. In my life. Thank you, Yeosang. And I won’t forget you, ever. I hope you don’t if you go back.”

‘If’, you had said, Yeosang realised with a glimmer of hope. You didn’t want him to go back. It was up to him now. But he had to be sure about you first-

He didn’t expect you to lean in and kiss him on the cheek and then shyly look at you as you grinned. Oh, he wanted to cross the line so bad. “Thank you for tonight, Yeosang.”

Before he could respond, you scurried off, and he stood dumb for a few minutes until he smiled and sat in front of the mirror, taking off his accessories and looking at where you had kissed him-

Where the red smudge of lipstick welcomed him.

So that’s why you were grinning, he thought, laughing to himself as he wondered if he should just let the mark remain.

—-------------------

The situation in the West had been resolved and you made your way back, making the visit last for about a week and a half. A week after that night you spent with Yeosang at the festival. You had attended a meeting together where you got to see just what kind of a strategist Yeosang was, and he was one hell of a strategist- he managed to keep the political interests of both the parties in balance as he suggested ways to resolve the conflict, along with his seniors. He was applauded by the King himself and that made you giddy. It didn’t help that he looked incredibly hot when he was in operational mode, you told him.

“There’s something wrong with you,” Yeosang had made a face and you had only laughed.

“You know, my father approves of you. He even asked me if you’re my replacement tutor.”

“I should go and tell him how disrespectful my student is-” 

And that ended with the usual bickering as well. In the few days you spent in the West after the festival, you only got to meet up with Yeosang once during the evening when you two were walking around, and Prince Chan had joined, which ended up making you the third-wheel. They surprisingly had much to talk about.

Your lessons with Yeosang were going to resume today. You had also just received a letter from Professor Seo which said that he would be returning in a week or two. You felt anxious for some reason- could you keep Yeosang all to yourself? Would that be selfish of you? After all, Yeosang’s family and friends weren’t in this town.

You went inside the library, finding it utterly quiet. You almost called out loud for Yeosang, but you saw him dozing off, sitting crossed legged on the floor with his head resting on his arms on the table. You smiled to yourself- what a sight he was. You tiptoed towards him, sitting in front of him across the table and waiting for a while- he was probably tired. You heard a muffled groan and watched him as he frowned in his sleep- was he having a nightmare?

“Yeosang?” You whispered, but he didn’t stir. You slid away from the table and went to his side, carefully pushing a few strands of his dark hair away from his face- he seemed to be caught in a dream-

You noticed the redness on his temple that you had spotted before too- you hadn’t asked him about it and the way he styled his hair, you couldn’t detect it unless you looked carefully, but it looked like it was a birthmark. You touched it lightly, smiling-

You couldn’t even let out a scream when he went for your neck making you fall flat against the floor and him on top of you with his dagger threatening to slit your throat.both of you were looking at each other in surprise with wide eyes and you patted his arm cautiously. “It’s me… Yeosang, it’s me.”

Yeosang came back and sighed deeply, drawing back and immediately apologising. “I don’t know what I was thinking, I have nothing to say.”

“It’s okay,” you frowned as you straightened your clothes, getting up to go back to your place. Yeosang, confused, got up as well. “Are you alright, Yeosang? Are you haunted?”

Yeosang snorted at that. “Actually, I’m not always like this. I was attacked on the night when we came back, in my room. I didn’t get who it was, but someone’s after me, which means… someone’s after you.”

“Oh, come on,” you shook your head. “It might be something you did. You’re not a saint, Yeosang dear.”

“Could be, but I’m betting it has something to do with you-” Yeosang stopped mid-sentence and pulled you by your arm into his chest as a vase fell and crashed on the floor, making you scream and clench onto his clothes. 

“Wait here- someone’s definitely after you,” Yeosang said and before you could stop him, he went for what you figured was whoever he spotted. You took out your own dagger, waiting for him or whoever it was that dared attack you in the library, of all places. 

However, the last person you expected to see was Mingyu, calling out your name before he stepped in your line of vision and you frowned. “I heard a crash and a scream, I was just passing by. Are you alright?”

“You were just passing by?” You almost spat but then shook your head. “I’m sorry- it’s just been surprise after surprise today. I’m overwhelmed. Did you perhaps spot someone else leaving?”

“Only Kang Yeosang,” he said, stepping towards you but stopping when you raised your hand. 

“Do you know him?” You asked.

“He’s made quite a name for himself after the tour in the West,” he pointed out and you lowered your dagger. “He’s your replacement tutor, is he not?”

“That he is,” you nodded. “He’ll be back any minute.”

“Can I see you tonight?” Mingyu asked, shooting a playful smile in your direction.

“If you tell me why you’ve been meeting up with the Queen, sure, I can see you tonight,” you countered. You refused to believe him passing by was a coincidence- not after you’ve been suspecting him for so long.

However, Mingyu clearly didn’t like what you were implying. “Do you think I’m a spy or something? That’s a low blow.”

“What else am I supposed to think, Mingyu?” You countered. “You’ve been meeting up with her- I saw you myself. And you didn’t bother to tell me? A simple explanation would have done. You could have lied and I would have believed you. But you didn’t even tell me. You never tell me anything. You only call me when-”

“And what do you tell me about yourself, Princess?” Mingyu walked towards you. 

“I tell you enough,” you seethed. “I risk meeting you and tell you enough. You have no idea what the consequences would be if I got caught meeting you.”

“Well, no one would know unless you spill,” he stopped in front of you. “Have you?”

“I just- I can’t continue meeting you like this forever, you know it,” you sighed. “And you’re still not telling me why you met her.”

“I tell you enough as well,” he countered. You couldn’t believe him. You were about to walk away but he caught your wrist. “Come on. Don’t ruin this-”

“Ruin what, Mingyu? What are we?” You locked eyes with him, surprisingly relieved when you saw no signs of longing in them. “We never address that though, do we?” 

“Well, what are you with Yeosang then?” He countered and you raised a brow. “I’ve seen you both. He’s not your tutor-”

“He’s my friend,” you sneered, trying to break away your wrist from him but he wouldn’t let go. “And let go of me. You’re hurting me.”

“Friend?” He laughed. “Friends don’t look at each other the way I’ve seen you-”

“I suggest you let go of her right now, Mingyu,” Yeosang’s voice boomed as he walked to the two of you. “Let go of the Princess.”

Mingyu scoffed at him. “No, what do you two even do in here? I’m pretty sure it’s not just studying-”

The crack of the slap on his left cheek was the most satisfying sound you ever heard out of him, and you didn’t regret it, even when he looked betrayed and surprised. “Who do you think I am? You’re the first person I’ve been with, Mingyu, and you’re the only one. I can’t believe you think so lowly about me. I guess I should have thought that about you too,” you rubbed your wrist- he had finally let go due to the initial shock. “Meet me tomorrow night at the same place. We’ll end this- only after you tell me what you’re up to with the Queen. And don’t bother lying- I know what you’re up to. I only need to see if you’ll tell me the truth or not.”

Mingyu huffed, laughing in what you could only presume was disbelief. “I think we should. We need to think with clear minds, huh?” He looked at Yeosang and left the room, leaving you glaring at his passing figure. Yeosang stifled his smile as he stood next to you. “Well… that was one hell of a slap.”

“Shut up, Yeosang,” you muttered but smiled, looking at him. “I should have done that earlier. I don’t know what took me so long.”

“Do you really know what he’s up to?” Yeosang patted your back, urging you to settle down before sitting in front of you.

“I don’t, actually, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to continue whatever it is we had. It was only physical, and that’s… it makes me shameful to think of it.”

Yeosang looked proud of you though, especially when he said, “I don’t think I need to be your tutor anymore. You’ve learnt all you need to- at least about strategy and offence.”

You laughed at that. “Have I? You still have to teach me the damned nonsense the old scholars left for us that’s not even relevant-”

“Don’t disrespect your ancestors,” he shook his head, grinning. 

—------------------

When Mingyu entered the room, you didn’t get up this time. He didn’t approach you either, simply sat down next to you.

“I’m sorry for slapping you earlier- I could’ve dealt with that differently,” you told him. You were sorry- that wasn’t a lie.

“I deserved that,” Mingyu looked at you and you both shared a laugh. “I was being an asshole.”

“Glad you realise that,” you shook your head. “So?”

“The Queen… the first time that she called me, she only wanted to know who my father was- apparently, he used to do some of the Queen’s private tasks, so she thought she could trust me as well. I didn’t realise what she was on to until the second time, when she casually asked me if I was interested in you.”

“Wow, she’s still digging for something to bring me down,” you made an impressed face. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her the truth- that I admire you as the Princess. That’s exactly what I said. Not a lie, but not the whole truth either,” he winked.

“That’s smart, I’ll give you that,” you nodded. “How did she respond to that?”

“She told me I should meet up with you, that you might be interested in me as well. Honestly, I was confused- I didn’t know if it was a test or some twisted game where she wants us to get caught because it’s no secret that she hates you. So I just told her I’ll look for a chance. Now she just asks me if I made some progress.”

“I wonder what’s going on in her head,” you sighed. “You should have told me, Mingyu.”

“I know,” he admitted. “I should have, but honestly… I’m not interested in you that way- at least not yet.”

“Neither am I,” you admitted. “We should end it, though. There’s no use continuing whatever we had, but I hope we can part on good terms, and possibly be allies in the future. You’re smart, Mingyu. I hope you won’t use our relationship to bring me down one day- I’d rather you be my ally, my friend.”

“Now that’s one tempting offer,” he laughed, tucking your hair behind your ear. “No hard feelings?”

“None,” you nodded. “Unless you pull something, in which case you can expect not to wake up after you sleep,” you smiled sweetly at him and he shook his head, raising his hands in surrender. “Also, yesterday… were you really passing by the library?”

“Ah, about that,” Mingyu straightened, recalling the detail he needed to tell you. “I did spot someone suspicious- dressed like a guard- around the library, so yes, I was just passing by but made a detour because I thought I saw something.”

“Who do you think could be behind it?” You wondered.

“Could be anyone at this point, but maybe start from the people closest around you,” Mingyu said. “Should I look into it?”

“Will you?” You asked and he nodded. You thanked him- that really was a kind offer, perhaps to make up for his behaviour.

After that meeting, you walked to your secret place just to have some alone time and think things through. You had just been in your room, and Siyeon had been beyond relieved after she heard that you broke things with Mingyu. 

“I’m just glad I don’t have to be the watchdog anymore, you know?” She told you as she prepared you for bed, about to go and bring your tea when you told her you wanted to get some air first. She let you go willingly this time.

But when you sneaked in through the vines around the fence, the last person you expected to see was Yeosang. What was more surprising were the empty bottles around him- he was drinking. 

He never drinked this much, from what he had told you. You whistled at the sight and went to sit next to him, shaking your head at his flushed cheeks. “You need to stop before I wake you up by pushing you in the pond.”

“What are you doing here?” He sounded surprisingly sober.

“What are you doing here? Why are you drinking?”

“Just needed to stop thinking for a few moments,” he admitted, offering you a bottle. You took a sip and told him you weren’t going to drink more. “Boomer. Look at the moon- it’s a wonderful sight. That calls for a few drinks as we admire the sight, no?”

“Yep, you’re drunk,” you folded your arms. “What’s keeping you up at nights, Yeosang?”

He was silent for a few moments, and you almost thought he faded into unconsciousness when he mumbled something. You frowned, “What was that?”

“You,” he said, and your heart sank. “You. You keep me up at nights. You don’t let me sleep.”

“Hmm, really?” You pursed your lips, stifling your smile. “And what exactly about me?”

He glanced at you and it was your turn to get flushed- he had rarely ever looked at you that way, but whenever he did… it drove you crazy. “I wish I hadn’t met you, y/n.”

Your heart broke like never before- it was a sharp blow. You managed to ask why.

“I’m not worthy of you. I cannot be with you. But I think I want to be with you. But… you don’t want me. So I wish I hadn’t met you- at least that day in the forest. Maybe if we hadn’t become friends-”

“What are you saying?” You shook your head. “What’s this bullshit about being worthy? I’m not some prized possession you need to win.”

“Oh, but you are,” he smiled, looking down. “You’re… wonderful. You’re brilliant. I’m nothing.”

“God, if you were sober right now, you would be saying the opposite. And that’s making me confused,” you tugged at his sleeve, making him look at you. “Are you joking right now? Do you like me or something? Because I’ve been the one afraid to take that step-”

Yeosang leaned in and kissed your cheek, making you pause. He drew back slowly. “That night… I wanted to keep you all night. I wanted you so bad.”

“Yeosang,” you whispered, “You can have me. You’ve had me long ago.”

“Is that so?” He traced your hairline, tucking your hair behind your ear, and you couldn’t help but shiver. You couldn’t help but compare- Mingyu had done this so many times, yet this single action had never made you a puddle, a mess like you are now. 

Yeosang continued to trace the outlines of your face. “I don’t want to let you go,” he whispered, “Are you real, or am I hallucinating? Am I too drunk?”

“I think you are drunk, but I’m real,” you managed to say, locking eyes with him.

“Even if you’re not…” he put his fingers under your chin and tilted your face up, gazing at your parted lips. You stifled a groan- his touch alone was making you go crazy.

And when he leaned in and finally pecked your lips, holding on to his shirt was all you could do to keep from falling down. As if realising you were real, he pecked your lips again, and again, until you parted your lips and kissed him back, making him cup your face and bring you closer as he kissed you like a man deprived of air, tongue colliding and swallowing each other’s moans. You had never felt like this, feeling his touch in every cell in your body, feeling the kiss as if he was caressing every part of you. 

When he drew back, you rested your head against his, and you wanted more, you wanted to kiss him all night, but he dozed off and you couldn’t help but laugh. You let him rest his head on your lap, caressing his soft hair and running your fingers through them, smiling because he looked like a cat. After you almost fell asleep yourself, you decided to leave him here- he needed to face the consequences of his actions.

But the next day, when he sat in front of you teaching you about one of your ancestor’s history, you weren’t listening- just watching him with a smirk. He seemed to be annoyed at that when he shut the book and glared at you.

“What’s so funny?”

“You look like you had one too many drinks last night,” you told him. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember.”

He didn’t.

“I remember. I never forget when I drink,” he said haughtily.

“Is that so?” You made an impressed face. “Do you, perhaps, remember meeting me last night?” He frowned in confusion and you scoffed. “Maybe you shouldn’t think too highly of yourself, Yeosang.”

“You came last night? There?” He groaned loudly, hiding his face. “I hope I didn’t do something embarrassing.”

“Nothing at all,” you shook your head. “Just did this weird dance and twirled around-”

“Now that’s a lie,” he declared and you laughed.

“If you do recall the events of last night, come find me,” you winked at him, opening the book back and leaving him confused.

—-------------------

A few days had passed when the King called you in his study to have a private conversation with you. You went after having breakfast and had tea with your father, chatting about the weather and Chan’s silly pranks when he steered the topic to what he had called you for.

“I want you to participate in court matters regularly as soon as you’re ready,” he sipped on his tea- basically telling you he was going to make it public that you were his choice.

“And what does the Queen say about this?” You asked, taking the umpteenth cookie.

“What she says doesn’t matter,” he told you.

“I think it does, a little,” you began. “She’s been sending some people after me- I don’t know if she wants to simply hurt me or kill me, but she’s out for me. I thought I should tell you.”

Your father stopped mid-air, bringing his cup back to the table. “Are you sure?”

“I am,” you nodded. “I have an ally in the court, you see. He personally caught and interrogated the guard she used. She made it a bit too obvious- it was one of her personal guards. Caught in the act.”

You weren’t lying- Mingyu had done exactly that. You had been practising archery when he sent an arrow for you- and if he had hit, all suspicion would have gone to Yeosang. However, Mingyu had been following him and knocked the guard out, and by luck, you had narrowly escaped from the arrow. 

“I don’t know what to do about her,” your father rubbed his eyes. “It would’ve been one thing if Chan himself was interested in the throne, but… he’s the least interested.”

“And so am I, but father… you know there’s another reason you didn’t groom Chan like you groomed me. You’re afraid of what the Queen would do to you. After all… She was royalty too, before you became your wife. She owns a lot of land, and a good majority would support her if she decided to do something about you.”

“I don’t know why I ever agreed to marry her,” he sighed. 

“Doesn’t matter, but… you don’t need to do anything about what the Queen did to me. She’s been after me all my life- I’ll deal with her myself. It would be wiser if you don’t interfere. She’ll never admit she was behind it anyway.”

“I should warn her though,” he said. “You’re my daughter. I don’t want anyone hurting you. Even if she gets Chan to inherit the throne, she’ll never let you stay here.”

“There’s always going to be someone after us, father,” you pointed out. “We’ll never feel safe. That’s the price we pay.”

The two of you concluded the discussion on the terms that you’ll both confront the Queen and ask her to back off, and that both you and Chan would sit in the court matters regularly, but you would eventually inherit the throne unless Chan is interested, in which case the King or the court themselves would cast their votes. However, that time would hopefully be after a good while. You wished your father lived long and healthy so you wouldn’t have to inherit the throne so young.

After leaving, you went to the library for your lesson with Yeosang, who had been acting a bit suspiciously himself the past few days. You didn’t know if it was because he recalled what happened that night, if he even believed, or if he regretted that, but you weren’t going to bring it up. Professor Seo was arriving in three days, and each passing day was making you anxious because with each passing day, you only became sure that you wanted no one else but Yeosang by your side. For the rest of your life. If he would return the feelings- you hoped he did, because you weren’t sure you could ever love someone like you had begun to love him.

Love- you never thought you’d get to experience that. Even as friends, there was love between you two, the kind that friends had in the books you read, where they looked out for each other and knew each other’s secrets, their likes and dislikes, and such. But the line between friends and more… it was always a little blurred between you two.

You found Yeosang waiting for you not at the usual spot but at the window. He looked at you with a mischievous smile and you raised a brow. He took a deep breath. “Do you want to go to the mountains? A little trip?”

You smiled slowly. “What took you so long! I’m ready.”

It was a thing between you two- sneaking out disguised as random civilians. You borrowed one of Siyeon’s pretty dresses (she always had prettier dresses than you while you wore ugly uniforms for the court) and hid most of yourself in a cloak, walking to the foothills of the mountain which was fairly near, just a long walk that passed by in a blink because Yeosang was suddenly feeling nostalgic and told you about the time he was a kid and climbed all the way to the top of the mountain as a challenge. When you finally started to climb, Yeosang held your hand, surprising you but you let him guide you all the way up until you asked for a break.

“This is a nice spot,” Yeosang stood near the edge of the rock and peeked down. “This shall do.”

“I’m glad,” you huffed as you sat down, Yeosang joining you. “I thought my legs were going to break.”

“I think we should ditch history and start working on your stamina,” Yeosang narrowed his eyes. “Imagine someone comes after you and you give up because you got tired after running a little distance.”

“I’m sorry but no one’s going to chase me up the mountain, I can run just fine,” you said and he laughed. You drank water from your bottle and he sighed, looking up at the cloudy sky.

“I told father about the Queen, by the way,” you said after a moment. “I thought you should know so you don’t worry your ass off.”

“What makes you think I worried at all? It’s a regret the arrow didn’t strike-”

“Hey!” You smacked his arm, pouting at him. “You’re so strange, Yeosang. You say one thing and mean another.”

“Oh? And what do I mean when I say I wished the arrow had hit you?” He turned towards you, appearing very interested. 

“Well, how about ‘oh, I wish I was there and could have taken the arrow for you’. Okay, I admit that was too much,” you sulked when he laughed out loud at that, very sarcastically. “You hate me, that’s fine.”

Yeosang scoffed. “You know what I would have done if I was there?” When you didn’t answer, he put a hand on yours, caressing it. “I would have shot an arrow back, not caring who it was. If it had been the Queen, the Prince or even the King… I would have shot them.”

You were about to smack him again for teasing you but when you saw how serious he was and his gaze- the same gaze you dreaded but wished to see again and again forever- it made you pause. “You’re serious?”

“I am,” he admitted. “And it scares me because I’m the type who weighs all the pros and cons before striking, as you already know.”

You scanned him for a few moments. “Do you finally remember what happened that night?”

Yeosang answered by sliding closer and capturing your lips in an eager kiss, smiling into it when you immediately responded with a surprised moan, clenching his shirt in your hands as he continued to slide closer and kissing you without a break until you two were out of breath. You locked eyes with him, laughing in disbelief. “You’re gonna tell me now that you’re sober?”

“Am I?” He made a confused face and you pushed him back, laughing again but he caught your hands in his. 

“Well, Princess y/n,” he began, smiling cheekily, making you bite your lips because gosh, he was criminally handsome. A walking sculpture- Siyeon had made the right observation. “I may have developed a… liking towards you.”

“That’s it?” You frowned, pushing him away properly this time, making him laugh until he couldn’t breathe. “Come back when you’re sure.”

“Okay, okay, hear me out,” he took both your hands in his. “I don’t want to go back, y/n. If you’ll have me… I want to be yours. I love you more than I thought I did. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I fell for you before even realising- wait, you’re not taking this seriously!”

You let out the laugh you had been stifling. “I’m just in disbelief, because I love you and I thought you hated me and made a mistake that night or something. Okay, not hated me, but didn’t like me like that or something. But you’re telling me that…”

“That I love you,” he nodded, grinning. “And I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, you don’t need to do anything, just… stay and we’ll figure out, huh? But… stay at your own risk because I will not let you go if you stay-”

He shut you up by kissing you again, this time with a force that had you arching back until you were flat against the grass. You broke apart, “You have a habit of not letting me complete my sentences.”

“You love it, don’t you?” He caressed your face and you felt knots in your stomach. “What do you want me to do, then?”

“Kiss me until I can’t speak anymore?” You suggested and he started by peppering kisses all over your face, making you giggle. Then he kissed you ever so slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, making you melt into a puddle. He earned quite a few moans with the way he kissed alone, and when he started at your neck, it was the end of you- especially when he started nibbling at your sweet spot, sucking and licking and leaving a mark that he looked at proudly.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he whispered, caressing your cheek.

“I’m yours,” you nodded. “Tell me you won’t go.”

“I’ll stay,” he promised, sealing it with another kiss. 

“Even if I have to inherit the throne?” You asked. 

“I’ll be honoured to be by your side then,” he kissed your forehead. “If… if you would have me.”

“Well, you’re one hell of a strategist, and an archer- you shot that arrow at my heart-”

“Come on, you can do better than that,” he shook with laughter at your cheesy line and you pouted.

“No, I can’t,” you said. “But yeah. I’d be honoured to have a mind like you beside me. And a body and a face like yours to look at for the rest of my life, because honestly, you’re hot-”

“Ah, here we go,” he shut his eyes, basking in the compliments. “Carry on.”

You scoffed. “That’s all, Yeosang dear.”

He glared at you, lying beside you. “Can I take back everything I just said?”

“Yeosang!” You turned to slap his arm, getting half on top of him and grinning at your position, letting his hands on your waist guide you up on him. You spent a good few moments admiring him before you kissed him.

“To always and forever,” you said when you broke apart.

“To always and forever,” he nodded, about to bring you in again when you interrupted.

“What are we going to do about Professor Seo? Maybe I should ask him to retire,” you pondered.

“Can you not talk about other people when you’re on top of me?” Yeosang commented and you poked your tongue in your cheek, realising exactly the position you were in- practically straddling him.

“As you wish,” you let him kiss you senseless after that.

It was sweet, and it made your heart feel alive for the first time. You wished in that moment to have a forever and always with him. You would have no one else.

And weirdly, you were glad Mingyu had called you in the forest that day. How fate had worked for you two- meeting as strangers and meeting officially in the palace, finding an unexpected friendship and love along the way. Unexpected but welcomed.

For the first time, you felt safe too, when you lay in his arms. Even though you had told your father earlier that you didn’t have the luxury of feeling safe, you decided to one day tell him that you had found your home- the person that made you feel utterly safe.

Serendipity | Masterlist

Masterlist | Choi San x Reader | College!AU

#serendipty au | ignore time stamps

ser·en·dip·i·ty

noun

the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

"a fortunate stroke of serendipity"

When the theater department is down on it’s luck and has to bring in record breaking sales at the end of the school year in order to garner sponsors or else they’ll be defunded, the lead invites a few dance majors to practice one Saturday morning. One volunteers his class to fill in for the ensemble just to see a smile. It all leads to two semesters of chaos in putting together a student written and composed musical, drama amongst friend groups, and a dance major falling in love with a set designer.

y/n protection squad | mountain man’s clan

extras

01 | a sign from the gods

02 | fellow students

03 | I swear I fell in love

04 | are you disappointed in me?

05 | k dude

06 | commitment issues

07 | honestly…

08 | I’m done

09 | @jwooyounh, who are you?

10 | father eden

11 | unbiased opinion

12 | too far

13 | real gentlemen + written

14 | punish me daddy

15 | love you ❤️

16 | not my baby girl

17 |

18 |

19 |

20 |

Tag List: @naiify @baguette-atiny @xciiiomwliah @atinybitobsessed @elk-1998 @noonaishere @layzfeelit @kodzukein @rge-nini @atinytinaa @atinysthings

Send an ask to be added…

I don’t respond to comments because this is only a side blog… So I’ll respond with screenshots and posts if I do.

let him eat cake // kim hongjoong

pairing: kim hongjoong x reader genre: light smut an: this is the first fic i think i've written in years so we're in this together wc: 3k warnings: spanking, voyeurism, punishment, pain, dom!hongjoong,

You don't think you've laughed so hard in ages. It was one thing that you were even able to get Wooyoung's attention.

It was another entirely that he listened to you.

Everyone knew that Woo tended to be the most ill-behaved of them all, so it shouldn't have surprised you that he actually wanted to go along with the idea. You had thought since this was in front of thousands of Atiny, Woo might think twice about embarrassing his captain in such a public setting.

Then again, everyone also knew that Woo was a glutton for punishment.

Initially, you stood shocked when the cake smeared its black frosting across Hongjoong's face, blinking rapidly as if the scene in front of you wasn't really happening. It took all of a few seconds for the sound of the stadium's erupted laughter to register with you and you were then joining in, sides aching from how hard you laughed in utter disbelief. He took it with all the composure of the team's captain as the crowd began to settle down.

That should have been the end of it, but Hongjoong had then looked at you. Really looked at you. You'd seen that look countless times when the members acted up. It was a look that told them to come to his room later, that everyone joked was where Hongjoong would punish them by spanking them.

You honestly brushed it off at first, and would've forgotten about it had his gaze not found you when he returned to stage a few minutes later, face unfortunately still frosted.

Your stomach sank and you felt a tightness in your chest as his eyes lingered on yours. The remainder of the show was spent with your heart racing, from the adrenaline of the concert to the seriousness of his gaze each time it found you throughout the rest of the night.

You felt as if you had run a mile at the end of the show, the floor clearing out little by little until there were only a handful of groups lingering here or there. You had started on your way out of the venue when a masked staff member stopped you and asked you to follow them. That was when your heart really started to hammer away, heat rising to your cheeks. Were you going to be in trouble? Did Wooyoung somehow blame it on you, and now you were going to take the fall?

All sorts of possibilities ran through your mind as you followed them through hallway after hallway until you reached an empty green room. The staff member didn't say much as they gestured for you to sit on the loveseat, where a form and pen sat waiting for you on the coffee table.

There's no fucking way…

You looked bewildered and didn't even have the chance to hide your surprise as you stared open mouthed between the Non-Disclosure Agreement and the staff member who waited patiently with a raised brow. "One of the members would like to meet you, and in order to do that we'll need you to sign this. This is just an agreement that--"

"I-I know what it is, thank you. I'll sign it."

You hadn't meant to come off so short, but you were freaking out internally. There was a slight tremble to your hand as it reached for the pen while your eyes scanned the document. Jokes were made about this exact situation all the time and you hadn't expected to ever find yourself in it. The worst part was that you had no idea what would follow once you signed. Even so, you had.

The staff member collected the document wordlessly and slipped it into a folder behind them before they had gestured for you to follow. You stood on wobbly legs but followed out regardless, your heart pounding as heat flooded your neck and face. The possibilities of what was to come had your stomach doing flips and you silently chewed the inside of your cheek. You hadn't gone far before they stopped and you had to stop yourself from running into their back while they rapped their knuckles on the door.

"Come in," came a familiar voice that sent a chill down your spine.

The staff member pushed the door open and inward, staying in the hallway while they gestured you inside. And what greeted you when you stepped inside made your heart stop in your chest and all of the breath leave your lungs.

Kim Hongjoong.

His dark gaze flicked behind you, the silent command enough as the door shut behind you, the sound making you startle, effectively bringing you back to earth. "It was Wooyoung's i--!" had quickly rushed out of your mouth, the sentence abruptly ended by a deadly smile and finger to the lips by Hongjoong, the idol you had always dreamed of meeting.

Though you could have never pictured something like this.

The look in his eyes made your heart skip several beats, making your head swim. He knew it too, could see it in the way your eyes had widened at him like saucers with worry knitted in your brow, your lips parted in shock. Most of the frosting had been cleaned from his face, but there were still dark smudges visible--evidence of your involvement.

"Don't you remember? Wooyoung said it was your idea. He wouldn't do it if a certain Atiny did not encourage him," he said, head tilted to the side with a predatory glint in his eye. That look made your stomach coil, your legs squeeze together. You knew you were probably beet red right now, and that realization only made it worse. Hongjoong chuckled.

"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't think he'd actually…I didn't even think he'd see me--! Oh my god…" You had begun, panicking once more as you ran a hand through your hair with worry etched deep in your features. Hongjoong only chuckled and stood, holding up his hands and shaking his head. "Relax, ….?" he cooed, brow raised prompting you for your name.

"Oh-- Y/N. My name is Y/N."

"Y/N…very pretty name," he said with a smile, sitting back down before he pat the cushion beside him. "Y/N, I asked before, but are you sure you are Atiny? Because my Atiny knows what happens when someone gets into trouble." You stared at him wide-eyed and quickly nodded your head. "Of course I'm Atiny! And...of course I know…" you had started out strong, determined to prove yourself as an Atiny. But your voice had faltered, quieting as you remembered what happened to those who got into trouble with the captain.

The few seconds it took you to cross the space and sit next to him--a healthy gap between the two of you--felt like an eternity as the edges of your vision darkened what was in front of you into a tunnel. You were conscious of how loud your heart hammered in your chest while the watch on your wrist vibrated to alert you of your increased heartrate. Hongjoong lifted a brow, that ever-present smirk taunting you and he nodded. "You do know? So you did it anyway, mm? It's almost like you wanted this to happen." It felt impossible for you to blush any harder but your body had become uncomfortably hot and you avoided meeting his gaze. There was no use in denying it, he knew that. He knew what his older Atiny thought of him and the rest of his members. You did want this. While you were lost in your thoughts, refusing to believe the reality before you, the very real and breathing captain watched you intently. The feeling of cool fingers on your chin made your hazy thoughts disappear in a blink and you sucked in a gasp. Hongjoong had captured your chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced you to look at him.

The second you did, all of your willpower had crumbled and the quietest whimper sounded in your throat. That made him smile, the sound of his chuckle making you press your thighs together. His head did not move as his eyes watched the subtle movement, brows raising as his smirk grew. You'd seen that look before in so many fancams, but seeing it in real life was devastating. "Y/N, I can hear how loud your heart is beating for me," he teased you as you sat awestruck, frozen under his gaze. At some point he had maneuvered himself closer to you, thigh brushing against yours and you wondered when he had had the time to do that without your notice. His face leaned into yours, his cheek brushing yours and your hand instinctively moved to cover your mouth as you sucked in a gasp. The hand that had held your chin moved to cup the back of your neck, thumb positioned on your cheek opposite his face. His breath caressed your ear as he spoke which sent a full body shiver down your spine while his other hand had moved to the dip where your hip met your thigh and squeezed once. "Y/N, I have to punish you, you know this?" When you didn't answer, the hand at your hip squeezed harder. "That was a question, Y/N." "Y-Yes..." "Yes, what?" "Yes, C..Captain." He chuckled against your ear. "Good girl. Come here," he commanded as he pulled away, patting his lap. The hand at your neck moved down your arm to your wrist to guide you closer until you were laid across his lap. You couldn't hear anything over the sound of your blood roaring in your ears while your heart pounded against your ribs. You were both embarrassed and enthralled, panicked and excited as his hands settled on your body. One moved to brush the hair that hung in front of your face behind your ear while the other rested on the small of your back. "Hmmm," Hongjoong mused, the hand on your back rubbing small circles, each circle widening until his hand rested on your ass. "I wonder how many would be enough? It is my birthday, so maybe I should do one for each year, hm? I think that is only fair. What do you say, Y/N?" You swallowed the thick lump that had formed in your throat and nodded once. "Y-Yes, Captain." "You learn quickly, I like that." CRACK. There was no warning when the first smack came and you cried out, the sting sharp even through the fabric of your pants. Hongjoong knew what he was doing as the blow landed not at the crest of where you ass was roundest, but right beneath. Right where all your weight would be whenever you sat. "Count." It was not a question and you swallowed a breath before you spoke, voice trembling. "O..One..." His hand rubbed the sting into your flesh, letting it fade before raising it and letting the second blow come without a moment's hesitation. CRACK. One of your hands covered your mouth to stifle your cry of pain, shaking as it moved away for you to count. "T-Two..." Even if it was a punishment, the soothing strokes of his palm after each slap was comforting. Hongjoong knew how to be careful, and it was clear all the rumors were true. "If it's too much, tell me to stop," he said as he massaged your already burning flesh. But he was surprised when you shook your head, glancing at him from over your shoulder. "I-I can handle it," you replied confidently despite how your voice wavered. The smile that spread across Hongjoong's face was dark, and you could see why he was part of the demon line. "Good girl." CRACK. "Three--!" CRACK. "F-Four.."

It didn't escape Hongjoong's notice how your thighs squeezed together with each blow, judging by how his hand would brush the apex of your thighs while he soothed your flesh. At some point your cries of pain had become moaning whimpers that you muffled behind your hand and you looked forward to the next and the next, your heart pounding now for other reasons. Hongjoong was enjoying it too, you could tell. If what had slowly begun to press into your abdomen while lying across his lap was any indication, he was thrilled by your responses. CRACK. "T-hirteen..." Your ass was burning, and you knew that sitting would be pain for the next few days. But God was it worth it. Hongjoong was impressed with how well you took the punishment, never asking him to stop for even a moment. The hand that wasn't spanking you would take turns caressing your back or running fingers through your hair, even moving to your mouth for you to bite down on should you grow too loud. CRACK. You wailed against his hand, a tremble in your thighs beginning to grow. Your ass was aching, heat radiating from the throbbing pain and Hongjoong waited patiently for you to gather yourself. "N.." You let out a trembling breath. "Nineteen." You tensed for the next blow only for it not to come. When you glanced over your shoulder, Hongjoong was staring intently at the door, brows narrowed. His eyes dropped to the crack beneath the door where a shadow moved. His hand rested possessively against your throbbing flesh and he spoke. "I know you are there, Wooyoung." Your head whipped toward the door as heat flooded your face. The silence felt like an eternity, and a few moments later the door slowly opened to a sheepish Wooyoung, eyes wide as his gaze fell on you across the captain's lap. Hongjoong commanded him wordlessly with a look and the door was then closed, Wooyoung crossing the room to sit in a chair opposite the couch you two were on. "How long have you been eavesdropping, Wooyoung?" He couldn't take his eyes off of the two of you, staring directly at you as he answered the captain's question. "Four.." came his simple answer before his gaze peeled from yours and moved up to Hongjoong's. "Four? And you were going to let Y/N take your punishment and listen from the outside? Naughty boy." Hongjoong scolded him, rubbing soothing circles into your ass. You were surprisingly grateful for the respite, but there were only five more to go. Wooyoung said nothing as his gaze dropped to the floor, eyes glancing at yours every now and then. "Apologize to her, Wooyoung. Make it convincing." Wooyoung looked at you for a moment before mumbling an apology. Hongjoong tensed beneath you and you felt your blush heat your face. "That wasn't very convincing. Do it properly."

Wooyoung's head snapped up to look at Hongjoong with a pleading gaze that was silenced by his hard stare. Woo stood from his chair and bowed at the waist, apologizing to you formally. He was still bowed when Hongjoong's hand suddenly cracked across your ass and you yelped, startling Wooyoung who abruptly straightened with wide eyes, his mouth agape. You began to speak, counting the spank when Hongjoong shushed you, his gaze never leaving Wooyoung's. "Count for her, you know where we left off since you've been outside the entire time." "Twenty.." came Wooyoung's quiet voice. CRACK. "Louder." CRACK. "Twenty-one--!" With each remaining blow, Wooyoung couldn't keep his eyes off of you, gaze snapping to your ass each time Hongjoong's hand met the suppled flesh. He squirmed where he stood, his own face flooded with heat. Watching the captain punish you coupled with the sounds you made had his hands folded in front of his lap, quickly getting a rise out of him. Feeling Hongjoong's arousal pressing tightly into your abdomen while watching Wooyoung's excitement grow was wreaking havoc on your mind and body. The dampness between your legs had grown so obviously that Hongjoong chuckled when his hand dipped between your thighs after each slap. "You like having Wooyoung watch don't you, Y/N?" When you didn't answer, he laughed again and glanced up at Wooyoung as he continued speaking to you. "Don't worry, I think he likes watching you, too." His free hand dipped to your cheek, caressing it softly with the pad of his thumb as he leaned in closer to your face. "You've been good, Y/N. Last one, okay?" You nodded, a whimper sounding in your throat as your hands tightly gripped his thigh beneath you. He rubbed gentle circles against your ass before lifting his hand, letting it crack harder than it had before which caused you to cry out in pain, body jerking underneath him which elicited a small groan from the man. "Mmn..twenty-four," Hongjoong said, gently soothing the sting with his own aching hand, fingers dancing between your thighs each time his hand circled low. Wooyoung was momentarily ignored as Hongjoong began to praise you. "What a good girl you were for me, Y/N. But you won't be getting in trouble again, will you? You've learned your lesson?" You were breathless, panting in his lap as you nodded weakly in response. "Y-Yes, Captain. I won't do it again.." you mumbled, letting your full weight rest in his lap. His hand had stopped rubbing circles across your ass and had now begun to settle between your thighs which made your breath catch in your throat. It was then that Hongjoong acknowledged Wooyoung again. "Since our brave Y/N took the punishment for the both of you, it's only fair you help me reward her for being so good, don't you think Wooyoung? After all, you didn't think I'd let you watch and listen without doing anything, did you? You need to make it up to her." Wooyoung blinked between the two of you before he settled on Hongjoong, nodding quickly. "O-Of course. I owe her that much," he replied as he crossed the space between you. Hongjoong jerked his chin towards Wooyoung with a grin. "On your knees, then." Woo did as he was told and Hongjoong helped you sit up off of his lap gently, guiding you to lie back against the couch before he grabbed your hips and slid your ass towards the edge of the couch. Hongjoong grinned, guiding Wooyoung between your parted thighs before straightening up behind him, arms crossed over his chest. "Mm, happy birthday to me."

Obsessive | Kang Yeosang | pt. 2

Parts ➞ [one] [two] [three] [four]

Pairing ➞ brothers best friend! yeosang x (fem)reader

Summary ➞ You tried to pay no mind to your brother’s friends and their flirty antics, but it always confused you when only one of them seemed disinterested in you. Even though you’d never admit it, he intrigued you—to the point where when you kissed drunkenly at party, you wanted more. And you were going to get it.

Genre ➞ enemies to lovers au, friends with benefits, party au, college au, smut, fluff, slight angst

Series Warnings/tags ➞ 18+, sex, drug use (weed), oral sex (female receiving), unprotected sex, friends with benefits cycle, daddy issues, toxic friends, heavy drinking, lots of intimacy, yeosang is a meanie at first, San is a flirt, party, hookups, etc

Word count ➞ 3.6k

Taglist ➞ @atinywhore @ch0isa99ie @yeosangsbiceps @hongshines

Part 2

The smell of alcohol and the slight buzz of the music through the speakers filled your senses as you walked into the party. It was being held in someone’s huge apartment outside campus, and the only reason you were here was to get laid. 

Keep reading

Obsessive || kang yeosang || pt 4

Parts ➞ [one] [two] [three] [four]

Part 4

Summary ➞ You tried to pay no mind to your brother’s friends and their flirty antics, but it always confused you when only one of them seemed disinterested in you. Even though you’d never admit it, he intrigued you—to the point where when you kissed drunkenly at party, you wanted more. And you were going to get it.

Genre ➞ enemies to lovers au, friends with benefits, party au, college au, smut, fluff, slight angst

Warnings/tags ➞ 18+, sex, drug use (weed), oral sex (female receiving), unprotected sex, friends with benefits cycle, daddy issues, toxic friends, heavy drinking, lots of intimacy, yeosang is a meanie at first, San is a flirt, party, hookups, etc

Word Count ➞ 6.3k

Obsessive masterlist

Taglist ➞ @atinywhore @ch0isa99ie @theaufanartist @wubbster @knucklesdeepmingi @yeosangsbiceps @hongshines @whatudowhennooneseesyou @fightinganimal @bunnybini @admiringyeosang

You found yourself sitting at a mini-mart at midnight before finals. Yeosang was quiet, but you were somewhat sure his mind wasn't. 

He sat across from you on the outside bench, a soju in his hand and a banana ice-pop in the other. He sure had a thing for sweets. 

"What finals do you have tomorrow?" He asked, taking a gulp of the soju as he took a side glance at you. He looked beautiful under the artificial light that shined down on him, the blue and orange hues reflecting onto his soft-toned hair. You weren't even paying attention to his question at this point. It was the least of your worries. What worried you was that you wanted to know why it was so hard to not think about what he was thinking about. It was a bit redundant, and maybe you were overthinking about overthinking. "Um, y/n?"

"Huh? What?" you mumbled, turning your gaze to him. He looked captivating under the moonlight, and the artificial rusty-orange light reflected beautifully off his white t-shirt. It was a sweet night to enjoy with a lover, and you still weren't sure what to call him. You make love to him, but you aren't in love. You kiss, but it isn't because you love. You spend time with each other, but only for what? You were confused, and you knew what you were feeling after the look he gave you.

"Are you okay?" he asked you, and you weren't sure whether to answer him honestly or not. Did he really want to know? Was he interested in your well-being just like you were with him? Did he also want to kiss you because he wanted to and not just because of sexual attraction? Did he…want to know your favorite color? Your favorite song? Your favorite things to do?

After thinking critically about your answer to his simple question, you offered him a nod. "Yeah, I'm fine," you hummed, taking a sip of the banana milk you held. You caught yourself wondering if he wanted to know that it was your favorite drink?

He furrowed his eyebrows at you, leaning in a bit too close for comfort. You've been everywhere on his body. You've been involved with him from midterms to finals, and nothing has changed. He's done everything to you that no one else has. So why were you just suddenly aware of how beautiful he honestly was? "You don't look okay…" he trailed off, and he reached out to grab your chin in his hands. You still craved his heart and body, and even though it was your own idea to just have a sexual relationship with him, you wanted to take back your words.

"No, I'm okay, Yeo." You offered him a smile, but he knew you better than that. You let him hold you in public as if you were a couple. You let him ask you questions; you let him learn new things about you. Yet, you had no knowledge about him other than he found you hot and that he loves sweets. It shouldn't bother you to the extent that it does, and maybe it's just proof for you to get over this and break yourself out of it.

He took a second to process your answer. He peered into your worrisome eyes with an apprehensive gaze and a hesitating hand. "Why? What's the matter?" He softly spoke, and he seemed to care about you. Much more than just physical, but your disruptive thoughts never let you realize it.

"I…" you trailed off, unsure how you wanted to go about your feelings. After all this time, you have never spoken to him deeply. You weren't sure how to go about it, and crossing that line seemed more like a jump than a step. Feeling like saying something would ruin all you had, you should be grateful for what you had, even if it was only a piece of the puzzle.

As you hesitated, you watched his worried look turn into a smile. His hand grazed yours, interlocking your fingers together. You weren't sure how to process this, but you took it as it came, and you felt his pulse within his palm. "Let's go." he hummed, taking the last bite of his ice pop with a wince. He stood up now, you by his side while he gripped your hand and his soju bottle in the other. You didn't question where he would take you, and you just let it happen.

Is this how you fall in love? Is this tightness in your chest supposed to hurt? Were you supposed to feel dizzy when he touched you? Was it supposed to hurt this bad?

You let him take you to the bus stop with a skip in his step. It was nice to see him happy, and maybe you should allow yourself to smile even if you weren't okay. You valued his feelings over your own.

You both couldn't drive, so the bus was the last resort. How romantic would it have been if he could drive you to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night? How would it feel to be kissed with only the intent of expressing love and not lust? What makes it so different?

You sat quietly at the stop, your hand still laced in his. Maybe he was a bit drunk off of the soju, and perhaps you were too drunk off love, but it didn't even strike you that it was much too late for a bus to run. After a bit of time just sitting in each other's company, he stood up abruptly. "Fuck, I forgot it was midnight." He scoffed playfully and looked down at you as if it were a dream. His eyes were sparkling, and you could've sworn it was only for you. "We can walk."

Once again, he let out his hand for you to grab. You stared at it for a moment too long, but eventually, you held onto it, and he pulled you into his chest, a drunken giggle escaping his lips. "Oops." he smiled gloriously, and you couldn't help but gulp anxiously. His other hand held you by your waist, and it took everything in you to back away from him. 

After a moment, you were walking down the street hand in hand. He swayed it a bit, and you furrowed your eyebrows as you thought about if he felt this feeling too. Why were you so afraid of saying something, even if it was wrong? 

You grabbed the soju bottle out of his other hand and gulped it as you walked down the abandoned sidewalk. You had no idea where you were, especially since you weren't from Seoul. His eyes widened as you drank the liquor, but his smile was still evident. "Damn, baby."

Goddammit. Your heart pounded at the pet name, and your fingers tightened around his in reaction. You took another big sip, hoping to just feel a bit tipsy. You laughed it off as you took the last drop, and you turned a corner to walk up a long, steep hill.

"Stressed about finals, hm?" He wondered aloud, and you didn't have the courage to tell him you were stressing about him. It was hard to breathe as you tried to figure him out.

You nodded, but you were barely listening to him. You started to feel your body warm up from the toxin alcohol, and your legs lightened as you made your way up the hill. The warm spring air hit you in a slight gust of wind, and the sweet smell of flowers delighted your senses. Your nose twitched, and your eyes were trained on your sneakers as your feet moved without thought.

He didn't say anything after that. He kept his pace even with yours, even if you were walking slow. Once you reached the top of the hill, there was a blooming tree with a bench underneath, almost like a scene from a movie. You weren't sure how this would end, but shouldn't you enjoy it rather than worry? You believed it was the alcohol kicking in when you finally dared to look into his dark eyes.

"How cute." you smiled at the tree and then looked back to Yeosang, and you saw a bit of clarity. You made your way to the bench. It was covered in soft pink petals, and it was a bit worn in, but it made it better. You sat down, the tingle in your chest replaced with warmth. It was time for a distraction from the negatives. So what if you didn't end up with him? At least you have him now.

"Isn't it?" He sat down next to you with a smile. You were obsessed with how he could simply sneak into your heart, and doing things like this made you a mess of emotions. You looked out toward the city, high enough to see the lights along the Han river. His hand rested on top of your thigh, and you let out a sigh as you watched a plane fly over the lit-up city. It reminded you of a shooting star, and maybe you just wished it was so you could make your wish come true.

A bit of time passed, but you didn't even process it. Just being next to him made your heart happy, and you rested your head on his shoulder. He stiffened up at your contact but let loose a bit after a few seconds. You wondered if he felt it too once again, and the only way you would ever find out is if you bring it up.

"What's your favorite color?" you asked him softly, the taste of grape soju still prominent on your tongue. It seemed trivial, but you knew the deeper meaning of that question.

He laughed a bit, and you shook along with his shoulders. "Black," he spoke simply, and you looked up at him slightly. You noticed his beautiful birthmark on the side of his face, and you wanted to lean up and kiss it. You didn't, and you brought your gaze back to the horizon. He was still prettier than it.

You offered no response in hopes of him asking you about yours. You looked down at his hand that held your thigh when he didn't. 

"Do you like sunsets or sunrises?"

He hesitated but answered smoothly. "Sunrises."

You smirked a bit, hiding your emotions. "I pegged you as a sunset guy."

He shook his head but then rested it on top of yours. "I think sunrises are more romantic than sunsets," he nearly whispered, low and deep. "I just think about waking up to someone…and maybe eating breakfast and watching the sunrise together. Maybe a cat or two." He chuckled, but you frowned. This was a new side of him for sure, and this is what you wanted. But you also wanted him to ask you about what you thought.

"A cat or two?" you sighed, but you wondered if he thought about you in his future like that. "So you're a romantic?"

He laughed at that too, maybe nervously. You couldn't tell. "Well, yeah. But I don't know what I want, really."

"You just said you wanted to watch the sunrise with someone while eating breakfast with a cat or two." you stuttered a bit, not moving your head off his shoulder. You kept your eyes on the horizon and your hand on top of his. "It seems like that's what you want your future to be," you spoke out, your grip on his hand loosened slightly.

He stayed silent for a moment, yet he didn't ask you how you felt.

You sighed. "What's your favorite season?"

"What's with all the questions?" He asked you a bit abruptly. Your heart began to crumble at his tone. Still, maybe you were a bit too concerned about other things than to notice his vulnerability. 

"I just…" you trailed off, picking your head off his shoulder. You sat close as his birthmark stood out from his tanned skin. You wanted to kiss him again, but you held back from your desires. "I want to get to know you."

He stared at you blankly, and you didn't notice the slight hesitation in his eyes. He didn't act on his desires either, and he kept his gaze in your eyes without a break. 

"Why?" He scoffed a bit, a frown on his face. "There's nothing special about me."

You wanted to laugh at that. You kept your emotions in check, but you couldn't hold back your words. "Well, I wouldn't know since I have no idea who you are. You also know nothing about me."

"What do you mean? I know who you are—"

"Yeosang." you tilted your body towards him now. You were a bit tipsy from the gulps of soju, so you had just enough courage to ruin the moment. "What's my favorite color?"

He didn't have an answer. The look on his face seemed like he was hurt, but you kept going.

"What do I like better? Sunsets? Sunrises? The moonlight? Do I like to read? What is my favorite food?"

He was silent. Too quiet. It looked like he wanted to cry, but he clenched his jaw as you bled into his soul. 

You stood up then and walked over to the railing as you barely held yourself together. You weren't sure why you cared so much; it didn't make any sense. You were the one who wanted this, so stick with it. 

You didn't pry about anything after that. You felt his stare at the back of your head, but you didn't turn around to meet it. "Just ignore that rant." you groaned, tossing your head back in irritation.

"I can't tell what you're thinking," He murmured quietly, and you heard him sigh as he stood up. Now, he came up to you, wrapping his arms around your waist to turn you towards him. His hands slipped up the side of your shirt, but you weren't sure if that was intended or an accident. His touch was cold, but his gaze was sweet. Maybe just as sweet as the banana pops he loved so much. "But if something is bothering you, just tell me."

He looked into your eyes. There it was again—that sparkle. Your image is reflected back to you through his eyes as if it were a mirror showing how he sees you. You didn't answer him. In fact, you didn't have an answer anyway. You just nodded, your heart feeling heavy as if whatever you had was ending.

After a few moments, his gaze dropped from your eyes to your lips. His hands now slid down to your clothed hip, and he tightly grabbed onto them as if he was afraid to let you go. His eyes bounced from your lips, nose, and eyes again. He wanted you. He needed you. He was obsessed with you. But in what way? You knew the answer, but just like how obsession worked, you wanted more.

You pressed your lips to his. He stood still, and his mouth moved slowly across yours, and he breathlessly kissed you back with slight desperation. His touch felt warm now, and the grip he had on your hips disappeared as his hands now found their way to cradle your face gently. He tasted sweet—it was pretty fitting for him. You always wondered what he tasted like. What he would kiss like. However, this kiss was the first time you felt as if he loved you.

He pulled back for a moment, the soft pink petals falling through the air around him like raindrops. Maybe they were.

You felt the cold sprinkle of rain then, and the flower petals now mixed with the rain as if it were one. You rested your forehead against Yeosang's, his hands still holding onto your face like you were the most precious thing to him. He smiled as the rain fell through the tight space between you both, and you couldn't help but smile too.

He pulled you in again, his one hand now resting on the back of your soaking-wet hair. It was magical. You wondered if he was thinking about how you tasted and if he could feel your heartbeat against his own chest. Were your hearts beating at the same rhythm? Did his beat for you?

Something changed in the air. Maybe it was your last kiss. Maybe it was a goodbye. You weren't quite sure, but you also had no idea what you were to each other. 

Maybe there was a reason for it.

That same night was the last night you shared the same sheets.

—

It ended like nothing happened. You distanced yourself from him for the sake of your own heart and because you wanted to be the one eating breakfast with him and watching the sunrise. You were scared, though, and you worried that you weren't the one he was imagining. If you were, then he should have said that then. He should have asked about your favorite color. There were many things you both should have done, and maybe it was the immaturity you both harbored with your lack of experience with love.

Nothing was set in stone though, and you were sure that Yeosang just thought you were caught up with your finals. From all he knows, you guys were still together, in whatever way that was anyway.

"What's wrong with you?" Your brother grumbled as he sat next to you in the library. You had your head down into your textbook, trying to cram the last bit of information for your last final. The problem was that your mind was filled with other things.

“Nothing, just you sitting here.” you joked with him, but he was able to see through you easily.

“Y/n, I’m not dumb.” you brought your gaze to him now, worried that he may have figured out your fling with Yeosang. With a knowing smirk, he leaned up on his elbows. “You’re seeing San, aren't you?” he chuckled childishly, and you couldn't help but scoff.

You shut your textbook aggressively. “What made you think that?”

He shrugged, sitting back up straight as you packed your things in your bag. “Come on, I know you've been sneaking into the apartment and the only one ever home is San. Yeosang is always out fucking some girl or something.” He had it all wrong, but you wondered what Mingi would think if he knew you were the one Yeosang was with.

“Actually…” you stopped before you said anything rash. “What if I said I was with Yeosang instead of San?” you acted like you were joking, and mingi took the bait with a chuckle.

“Stop lying, that's a funny joke.” He hit you playfully. You weren't sure how to take that, but you kept your face serious although there was no way he would believe you. You didn't deny anything, but he changed the subject pretty quickly.

Would there be a problem if it was Yeosang? Why did he think you were joking?

“Did you finish your finals?” You asked him as you took a bite of your snack, you weren't even sure what it was, but it was the only thing left in the library’s vending machine and at least it was edible. The day was almost over, and you haven't seen Yeosang alone in days.

It was the last day of finals though. You had already begun to pack up the pile of clothes you had in your apartment, and you were a bit glad you didn't have much baggage. Physically, at least.

“Yeah, I’m all done. Just waiting for you so we can go home together.”

Oh. Home. You haven't really thought about going back to your home, which wasn't all that far from seoul. It was the fact that you had to get up and leave whatever type of relationship you had with Yeosang.

“I'll be done tomorrow morning.” You felt your phone buzz, and you knew who it was. “Can you do me a favor and get my bags from my apartment? I don't really want to spend my last night here in that shithole.”

Mingi tilted his head as if he was trying to figure you out. You were twins, he had some feeling with how you were acting, but didn't pry. “Okay, will your shitty roommate be there?”

You shrugged as you stood up from your seat. “Who knows. She might have gone home already.”

He nodded, and he followed you out of the library and into the warm sunny air. It was beginning to get scorching outside as the April rain turned to May's sunshine. You smiled up to the clear sky in hopes of clearing your mind. You waved him goodbye as he went on his way to your apartment, and you made your way to the dining hall for something to eat for lunch before your last final.

Just as you turned around a corner, You almost ran into a boy and nearly dropped your phone onto the ground. Lucky for you, but his phone wasn't so lucky. 

You reached down to grab the phone. “Jeez, I’m so sorry—”

“Y/N?” His voice was soft and deep, but you didn't recognize who it was until you came eye to eye. “You told me to wait for you and I ended up going home alone. You're a heartbreaker, aren't you?”

Seonghwa. His hair was as dark as ever and his smile was just as bright as his eyes. He looked at you with a playful glance and a tilt of his head. 

“Seonghwa.” You breathed out, awkwardly rubbing your elbow as he took his phone from your hands. “I’m sorry about that, I was a bit drunk and—”

“Hey Hey,” He chuckled, taking a step closer to you with a smile. His hand reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “Don't apologize, it's all in the past.”

You let out a sigh of relief and allowed yourself to stare into his eyes. He was insanely close to you, and you weren't sure if you wanted to tell him you had a boyfriend or not. You honestly didn't, so what excuse do you have? You couldn't lie though, he was extremely attractive, but you couldn't help but think about Yeosang’s eyes as you peered through Seonghwa’s.

“There's a party tonight at mine,” His hand caressed your cheek now, and you were too captivated by him to notice someone coming up from behind you. “It’s a going away thing, so bring whoever you want.”

“Seonghwa.” A deep voice rumbled behind you, and you felt the familiar embrace of your “lover.” Yeosang wrapped his arms around your stomach tightly and leaned his head onto your shoulder as he spoke to the older boy. “What are you doing with my girlfriend?”

Girlfriend?!

Seonghwa took a step back with a smirk, and nodded his head as he tried to process it all. “Oh? I wasn't aware you two were dating?” He smiled at you, noticing your confused expression. He remained respectful though, and offered you some space. “My bad, I was just inviting her to my party tonight.”

Yeosang’s eyebrows furrowed. “Party?”

“You're welcome to come.” He smiled kindly, but gave you a flirtatious gaze. “Go out with a bang, right?”

You watched Seonghwa walk away after that, and once he was out of view, you wiggled out of Yeosang’s embrace sharply.

“What are you doing? Girlfriend?” You laughed painfully, stuffing your phone into your back pocket of your jean shorts while he stared at you with a frown. “I don't remember ever being your girlfriend.”

He took a second to respond. He looked beautiful though, you couldn't deny it. His hair was fluffy from the humidity and his birthmark highlighted his gorgeous brown irises. God, you couldn't get enough of him. You didn't want anyone other than him. “I didn't know how else to say it.” He spoke softly, and it killed you to be upset.

“Dammit Yeo,” You groaned, taking a step closer to him. The sun was beating down on you while your anger boiled your mind.”What does that even mean? Does that mean you want me to be your girlfriend?”

He was silent. You took that as a no.

“That’s it. I’m leaving. Take care of yourself, okay?” You sighed, not feeling the argument over something so trivial.

As you took a few steps away from the man you wanted to call yours, you heard the words you never would have imagined.

“I’m not good enough for you, Y/N.” He whispered, looking down at his feet. You felt the vulnerability seep through those words, and it was enough to make you stop in your tracks. “I should've just ended it before it started—”

“Before what? The sex?” You turned around to face him, but he was unable to meet your gaze. “Yeah, maybe that would've been a good idea—”

“No.” He shook his head with a grimace and approached you slowly. “No, I mean before that. I should've stopped it once I met you.”

You were confused. What did he mean, once he met you? “Wait what—”

“I mean that I fell for you the minute I saw you goddammit.” He groaned. “And no, I don't want what we have to just sex. I want you to be the one sitting at the table in the morning with me. I want to wake up next to you every day and fall asleep next to you every night.”

You froze. You wondered why he couldn't tell you all of this before, and the past few days have killed your self esteem. You had to acknowledge that it wasn't just his fault though, and you had a major role in the miscommunication,

His face was flushed as he brought his gaze up to your eyes. You saw enough. You saw the tremor in his hand and the sparkle in his eye. You knew it, and you knew what your heart wanted. Whatever this feeling is, you were going to let it blossom until it bloomed. “Yeo…”

You didn't care where you were. You might've been in the middle of campus under the shade of a few large trees, but the sun was strong enough to break through the tension. It hit him in the face, cascading him in golden rays while he stared into your soul. You didn't care where this moment would lead you, but you crossed the distance between you two and grabbed onto his face.

“So are you trying to tell me you like me?” You whispered. “Why didn't you care to ask the questions though?”

He frowned as he thought about what you meant, but the minute he realized it, he smiled at you—a smile that sent butterflies flying around your stomach. “Because I want it to happen on its own. I want everything to fall into place, y/n.”

“So you weren't being dismissive?”

“Well, I was. But it was because I wasn't sure that you wanted me the way I wanted you.” He blushed a bit under your embrace, and you looked into his eyes deeply.

You took a second for yourself before you acted on your heart. “So what you're saying is—”

“For fuck’s sake Y/N just kiss me already.” He growled, gripping the back of your head and pulling your lips to his. You felt your heart nearly beat out of your chest, feeling the ache throughout your whole body. You fell into him as he deepened the kiss, his tongue pushing through your teeth to explore your mouth. You wanted to deepen it even more, but you remembered you were out in public.

“Let’s go.” You moaned into his mouth, and pulled away to grab his hand. He followed you obediently like some kind of dog until you made your way into the apartment building. The door was locked, and you prayed that no one was home. You had a bit of a window of time until Mingi came back with your things, and you stumbled into the dark apartment without a care to flip on the lights. You were surprised when Yeosang slammed your back into the door to shut it, and he gripped your ass to lift you up to his body.

You gasped as his lips met the crook of your neck, and he walked you into his bedroom.

He tossed you onto the bed, but it was gentle. His hands slowly let go of you and he straddled you with a look of love on his sharp features. His ears were bright red and his mouth was parted, and you couldn't get enough of him. He slowly slid off your top from above you, and your breaths intertwined as he came face to face with your bare skin. His breathing sped up while he leaned down to take your nipple into his mouth, and his left hand came up to cradle the other. You moaned as he claimed you with his lips, and you wanted to tell him all the things you wanted him to do to you.

After you tossed each other’s clothes off, he took a second to admire you. You wanted sex, of course, but what you wanted the most was to feel his love, his touch, his mind. You wanted to take care of him when he was sick, and wanted to make sure he was okay after a nightmare. This is how you fall in love, right?

He made love to you then. Real love. His heart pounded against your chest as he pushed himself in and out of you. You gripped onto his shoulder blades as he fucked you, your fingernails leaving crescent-shaped moons into his skin. His touch was like a flame, and you wanted to be burned. 

He moaned as he came into you, falling onto your chest with a sigh and unable to breathe. The room was stuffy and it smelled hot like sex, but for some reason it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

After a few moments of enjoying each other’s company, you ran a hand through his smooth brown hair. He smiled and you couldn't help but blush at his expression. He was facing you on his side, your legs tangled together in bliss. 

“Want to get a shower with me?” He whispered so softly that it was almost hard to hear him. His cheeks were still flushed from it all, but his sweet smile was hard to ignore. 

You didn't need to say anything. You softly kissed him though, and he smiled widely into it. It was as if he wanted to cry, he wrapped his arms tightly around you as you shared the space. You broke all the barriers that kept you apart. Well , there were two more walls yet to burst down, and you were sure you'd be fine after the aftermath. 

You followed him out of the room and towards the shower, totally naked and vulnerable. It was quiet, and you thanked the lord that no one was home. You entered the bathroom with a shy smile as he turned the water on. He didn't bother turning on the lights though, as the thin window above the tub let in an ambient amount of light.

“Come here.” He hummed, beckoning you to come closer with a flick of his finger. Your core pulsed at the gesture, and you almost wanted to hide your face in embarrassment.

The steam of the hot shower filled up the room, making it harder to breathe than it already was. You kind of liked how it felt though, and the minute Yeosang pulled you under the water was the minute you knew you were a goner.

His hot breath met your neck, and he kissed you there and began to trail down your body. You gasped as he kissed down your stomach and down your thighs until he was kneeling before you like a sinner at church. You gripped his wet hair tightly as his mouth met your heat, and you let out a moan as his tongue entered you forcibly. He slowly moved his tongue around you, making sure to hit every spot he needed to. He knew exactly what he was doing, and you couldn't get enough of it. You were obsessed with his body and his soul, and finally, you knew he was obsessed with you.

He stood up slowly, his hands sliding up your body as he reached his full height. There was something about how dangerous he looked in the moment, and what was even more interesting was the way he looked innocent at the same time. His eyes were focused on yours without any distraction, and he pushed you up against the wall with your back to his. He whispered something in your ear, but you were too far gone to hear what he was saying. He slammed into you without warning though, and you let out a groan of pain and pleasure and he rhythmically moved into you as the water hit you like flower petals of a tree. 

The sound of the water eased your mind, as well as the sounds of his grunts. He rested his head on your shoulder as he pumped into you, giving the base of your neck kisses. You wanted to fall to your knees for this man, but he has already shown you that he would do anything for you. He gripped your hair sharply and caused you to gasp as his other hand gripped onto your waist.

No words were spoken. He admired your body with his gaze and his touch while you let him ravish every part of you. You were too busy being lost in his trance to hear him whisper sweet nothings into your ear, and you let yourself reach your high as he reached his.

He moaned as he came, and emptied himself into you with breathlessness. You pushed your head against the cold shower wall as he pulled himself out of you, and then you turned around to pull him into an embrace. There was so much that you wanted to say, but he just smiled at you so sweetly as if it said a thousand words. 

And your kiss was everything that you didn't say.

—

You managed to escape the bathroom before Mingi came home, but the minute you got back into Yeosang’s room, Mingi entered the apartment with a sigh as he lugged in your luggage. “Hello? Anyone home?” He yelled out, and you hurriedly rushed to put on your clothes while Yeosang looked like a deer in headlights.

“The door was open…”Mingi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and you paced the room not knowing what to do. You tried to stay as quiet as you could, but you knew you were fucked. At this point you would rather Mingi find out straight from you rather than someone else.

As you made your way to the door, Yeosang grabbed your arm sharply. “What are you doing?” He hissed out quietly, resembling a cat. 

You smiled at him with a shrug. “Leaving everything behind.”

You opened the door then, and caught your brother’s attention immediately. He was too focused on setting your luggage nicely on the floor to know it was you. “Is that you hyung? I hope you don't mind but my sister is going to say here–”

“I wouldn't mind at all.” Yeo chuckled as he emerged from the room from behind you, making Mingi look up with confusion until he came face to face with you. Yeosang was only covered with a towel around his waist and you were drowning in his oversized shirt and a pair of his underwear. You looked like quite the pair, that is until Mingi opened his mouth.

“So uhh….are you two a thing?” He looked back and forth between you two, and your drenched hair and Yeosang’s state gave it all away.

“Duh. I even told you earlier but you didn't believe me.” You scoffed and Yeo’s eyes widened, but mingi looked surprisingly entertained.

He smirked at you both, and stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well I'll be damned. I could've sworn it was San because of how much he’s all over you—”

“He’s all over you?” Yeosang growled a bit, taking a step closer to you. Mingi couldn't hide his happiness at Yeo’s jealousy and neither could you. “Still?”

“No, he hasn't tried anything with me for a while.” you turned around to face your lover. “Plus, he’s just a flirt. He means well.”

“Yeah, right.” Yeosang scoffed and tightened the towel around his thin waist while Mingi stood with a knowing smile.

“Anyway,” you looked back over to your brother. “I thought you’d be mad at me for dating your friend.” You pestered, to which mingi scoffed at that.

“Are you kidding? At least I know he’s going to treat you well. I’d be more scared if you were dating Wooyoung to be honest. At least Yeosang can keep his dick in his pants.”

You let out a chuckle at that, and everything felt stable for once. Everything except the fact that you forgot about your last final. At this point, you weren't even mad. Your obsession with Yeosang ran deep. Deep enough for you to forget about your future and only care about having him in your present. Oh well, you were going to enjoy every last moment with your “boyfriend”, even if all he was supposed to be was a fling. Still though, you were a bit mad that you missed your final.

“Dammit... Kang Yeosang, I'm going to kill you.”