AHHH IM SO HAPPY YOU LIKED THIS!! I Have Such A Soft Spot For Taehyun

AHHH I’M SO HAPPY YOU LIKED THIS!! I have such a soft spot for Taehyun 🥺

Witchy Woman

Pairing: Taehyun x Fortune Teller!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Fortune Teller!AU

Tropes: Strangers to lovers

Word Count: 5.4k

Warnings: SFW, visions, mentions of alcohol/drunkenness, Taehyun gets a little spicy towards the end

Synopsis: One fateful night, five boys stumble into your fortune teller's shop, wanting to know about their futures. Taehyun's skeptical, but can't help coming back for more.

Author's Note: The song of the day is Witchy Woman by The Eagles! This is part of two collabs-The Writing Nook's Between Spoopy and Spooky and The Monster Beside Me hosted by @decembermoonskz. Happy Halloween!

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

March

You could hear them before you saw them.

As you look up from your table, you see five men round the corner. One with gray hair, his laugh echoing off the walls it’s so loud, poking fun at another with shockingly blue hair who looks like he’d love nothing more than to shove the other to the ground.

The two tallest are clinging to each other, one softly giggling to himself while the other’s barking laugh sounds so peculiar it makes you smile.

Finally, the last is silent but looking at his friends with a small warm smile. He rolls his eyes as he connects with your gaze, a silent apology for his friends’ ridiculousness.

“May I help you, gentlemen?” you ask, folding your hands in front of you on the table.

There’s a prolonged silence as they all look at each other, waiting for another to speak. In a flurry of movement, the blue haired one shoves the gray haired boy towards you, muttering “You’re the one that wanted to come here, say something!”

He stumbles forward, hand grasping the chair across from you. His laugh squeaks out again, and as he comes closer, you can smell alcohol rolling off his body, mingling with sweat. It’s unseasonably hot for this time of year.

“What’s your name?” you smile.

“Beomgyu,” he grins widely at you. “What’s yours, beautiful?”

The quiet giggler from before looks shocked by his friend’s response, but you’ve become used to patrons coming in after a late night of drinking, and you’ve been called way worse than beautiful.

“Raven. Take a seat, Beomgyu. If you’re the one who brought your friends here, then you get to be first to have your fortune told.” 

He slides into the seat in front of you, eyes sparkling with interest.

“I’ll answer one question…what would you like to know?”

Beomgyu thinks for a bit, chewing his bottom lip. 

“Come on, dude…hurry up!” the blue haired boy exclaims with exasperation. “At this rate, she’ll only be able to answer you and no one else!”

“Shut up, Yeonjun, you don’t tell me what to do!” Beomgyu waves his hand dismissively at the other. “Okay, I think I know what I want to ask…when will I meet my soulmate?”

Yeonjun groans and makes a gagging sound as you pull a crystal ball out from under the table and place it between you and Beomgyu. 

“Excellent question…I won’t be able to give an exact date or anything like that, but I should be able to hone in on the general time period.”

You gaze into the ball in front of you for a few moments, scrutinizing the reflection of Beomgyu and the lights in the room. The lights eventually dim, and it feels like a fog is rolling through your brain. Your skin prickles, though not unpleasantly. A vision of Beomgyu dances across your consciousness, another energy surrounding him. He seems pleased, chasing after it as it darts away from him. You can see glimpses of their surroundings…a stage, it feels like lots of attention and pressure. He looks close to his current age, but you get a gut feeling it’s further down the line than it appears.

Suddenly, the room swirls back into focus.

“You’ll meet them in around 5 years. There seems to be a lot of pressure around the relationship, something to do with performing on stage…are you in the entertainment industry?”

Beomgyu goes wide eyed and nods, and you can hear Yeonjun gasp behind him.

“Makes sense…yes, there’s lots of pressure around the relationship because of that, but you’ll be very happy nevertheless. Both of you.”

The boy in front of you grins widely, getting up from the chair and motioning towards Yeonjun to take his place.

—----------------------------------------------------------------

The other boys listen to you raptly as you tell them all about their careers, their love lives, and their families. All except the last one…the one who had seemingly apologized for his friends’ behavior when they had first stumbled in.

You’d noticed him rolling his eyes while you were talking with the others, and now he’s shaking his shock of jet black hair out of his eyes, taking a seat in front of you while a ghost of a smirk pulls at his lips.

“What would you like to know?” you ask politely, not too excited about whatever answer he’s bound to give.

“Tell me whatever,” he states bluntly. “Fortune telling isn’t real…no offense.” You can see the challenge in his eyes, daring you to refute his claim.

The tallest boy, now named Soobin you’ve learned, gasps behind him and smacks him on the shoulder. “Taehyun, that’s rude!”

Taehyun glances back at the older boy then shrugs his shoulders. “It’s true.”

His dark gaze returns to you and he folds his hands in front of him on the table.

“Prove me wrong.”

It’s your turn to have a smirk play across your lips…you enjoy a challenge more than you’ll readily admit.

You pull up your sleeves and place your hands on either side of your crystal ball. After a few moments, smoke starts to swirl inside, only visible to you.

A giggle escapes you suddenly, causing Taehyun to raise his eyebrow.

“What?”

“You simply have no future…I’m sorry.”

Beomgyu immediately lets out a barking laugh, and Yeonjun punches him in the arm to get him to shut up, though you can tell that he’s fighting back his own.

Taehyun’s eyes narrow. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m joking, geez.” You roll your eyes and you see Taehyun relax in the chair. “As boring as it is, all I can see is that you’re going to change up your normal coffee order next week.”

“Good luck with that!” Hueningkai, the youngest, calls out. “All he ever gets is a caramel macchiato!”

You lean back in your chair, hands folded in front of you, mirroring Taehyun. “I just call it like I see it.” 

The boy in front of you looks displeased and pushes away from the table. “That’s not even a real fortune, at least everyone else’s was interesting…” he mutters, starting to stand up.

“How about I make it worth your while?” you blurt out before you can think too hard about it.

Taehyun crosses his arms and looks down at you. 

“What do you mean?”

“You said it’s not real, right? So what if I make a bet with you? If what I predicted comes true, you owe me.”

You can see other boys’ eyes shine with interest behind Taehyun.

“Okay…say I do change up my coffee order next week. What then?”

You lean back in your chair, surveying Taehyun from top to bottom.

“You owe me a date.”

There is a collective gasp into the silence, and Taehyun narrows his eyes again, surveying you in turn.

You swallow thickly, starting to think you’ve gone too far as Taehyun turns from you, walking towards the door. The others slide past him outside, and he leans on the doorframe, studying you.

“You know what? You’ve got yourself a deal.”

And with that, he’s gone.

—------------------------------------------

It’s business as usual for the next few days. You go to your regular job (what, did you think fortune telling paid the bills?), run your shop most nights, and everything seems to go as normally as possible.

That is, until Thursday night. It’s pretty quiet since it’s early in the evening, and you’re puttering around, cleaning. Suddenly, the bell over the door rings almost violently with how quickly the door was pushed open.

“I’ll be with you in a min-” you start to say, looking over your shoulder at whoever has entered the shop.

It’s Taehyun, slightly out of breath, arms crossed across his chest.

“...oh,” you breathe, surprised. You’d expected to never see him again, especially with how skeptical he’d been of fortune telling. “Can I…help you?” You doubt he’s here to get a second reading.

“Yeah, you can…I believe I owe you a date?”

The vase in your hands you had picked up to dust slips through your fingers and shatters on the floor.

Immediately Taehyun rushes to your side, gingerly picking up shards of the vase so you don’t step on them.

“Are you okay?” He looks up at you with wide eyes, full of concern.

You shake your head to rid yourself of the shock and look down at him. 

“Fine, I’m fine.” You crouch down to join him, gathering up the last little pieces and taking a handful from him to dump in the garbage.

You turn back to him. “You said you owed me a date?”

“You didn’t forget our little bet that quickly, did you?” He raises an eyebrow incredulously. “Especially since you were the one who came up with the idea…you could’ve just asked me out the normal way, you know.”

“But what fun is that? I love a challenge, especially when it involves a cute boy thinking that I’m lying to them.”

“Ah, so you do think I’m cute,” he smirks.

“Notice how I didn’t bet a date on any of your other friends…yes, you’re cute. Now what coffee order did you get? You know, you could have also just asked me on a date the normal way instead of getting a whole new coffee order. I’m flattered, truly.” 

Taehyun strides towards you, pulling a chair out from the table you normally do readings at and sits down.

“Little do you know, I didn’t get a new coffee order, Miss Know-It-All.”

You pull out your normal chair, sitting down and leaning towards Taehyun, elbows propped and head between your hands.

“I thought being a know-it-all was your job,” you wink at him, though you can feel the heat emanating from your face. You weren’t sure what had come over you, but something about Taehyun just made you want to prove him wrong.

He leans in towards you as well, close enough to make you nervous.

“My job is being a man of my word. I said I would take you on a date if your prediction came true, and it did. Are you free tomorrow night? Say, 7?”

“I can be if you make it worth my while. Normally I’d be working here, making quite a bit of money…you and your friends came in last Friday, if you recall.”

“How about dinner and drinks at Cafe 553?”

You can’t help the gasp that comes out of your mouth. Cafe 553 was one of the most, if not the most, expensive restaurant in town.

Taehyun gets up and reaches forward, gently pushing your mouth closed with a finger placed under your chin.

“I’ll see you at seven, Miss Know-It-All.” His voice is a low whisper against your ear that causes goosebumps to erupt on the back of your neck.

And with a small wave, he’s gone.

—-----------------------------------------------------

You’re smoothing down the edges of your dress as you look in the mirror the next night, though it’s more out of nervousness than anything to do with needing to adjust the clothing.

As you turn to check yourself from all angles, you’re pleased. Your dress is made of crushed velvet in a deep plum, and your heels are a classic black. Your makeup is more on the natural side, save for a berry lip to go with your dress. 

A pinging noise sounds from inside your bag, and you fish out your phone to see a text from Taehyun stating that he’s arrived outside your apartment complex and is waiting. You glance in the mirror one last time, grab your keys, and head downstairs.

Taehyun’s car is unassuming, and he hops out to open your door for you, his eyes drinking in your outfit of choice, though his glance never lingers too long in one place.

“All this, for me?” he grins, raising an eyebrow.

“Well it’s not like I could show up to Cafe 553 in sweatpants,” you retort, though a smile graces your face.

“After you, m’lady.” Taehyun gestures to your seat, which you take. He then slides into his own and begins to drive.

Silence fills the car for a while, though it’s not unpleasant. You can tell Taehyun is focused on the road, yet also on whether you’re comfortable. He’s adjusted the air conditioning in the car for the fourth time when you finally reach out your hand to cover his, removing it from the offending dial.

“I’m fine, stop messing with the A/C.”

Taehyun steals a glance at you, looking slightly embarrassed. “Are you sure you’re fine?” You nod, and he places his hand back on the wheel.

“What I do want to know…is how on earth did the new coffee order come about?”

A smile works its way across his face and he drums his fingers against the steering wheel.

“Funny you should ask…like Kai said, I always order a caramel macchiato. Always. I can’t stand black coffee, it’s too bitter. Anyway, I ordered the usual, and when the barista called my name, I took the order to go. As I was walking back to practice, I took a sip and realized I had a vanilla latte. Therefore, a new coffee order. Not by my own volition, I’ll have you know…that detail’s important.”

A giggle escapes you at his story. “That’s it? A barista mix up? Classic. Well, I guess I was still right, then.”

“Thus why I’m taking you on this date, remember?”

“Aw, that’s all? You don’t even think I’m pretty? The most interesting girl you’ve ever met?”

Taehyun snorts with laughter. “You keep me on my toes, that’s for sure…and no, I don’t think you’re pretty.”

A frown immediately takes over your face, and as you turn in indignation, wheels turning in your head trying to come up with some clever comeback-

“I think you’re beautiful.”

—-------------------------------------------------------

The two of you settle in a booth towards the back of Cafe 553. The seating is snug and cozy, a candle throwing warm lighting across the table.

Taehyun sends a soft smile your way as you make eye contact over your menus, and you can’t help returning one in kind.

“Can I get you started with something to drink?”

A waiter has made his way to the table, and Taehyun points at a red wine halfway down the page, ordering the bottle for the two of you.

After the waiter returns with the wine and takes your order (gnocchi al pomodoro for you, spaghetti alle vongole for him), you start chatting about your lives. Taehyun tells you all about how he works as a private tutor for a few wealthy families in town, in addition to performing shows with the other guys. 

You in turn share about how you work in a bakery during the day, and do fortune telling in the evenings, which leaves you little time for a social life.

“You’re lucky I agreed to this date, is what I’m really trying to say.” 

“What, you don’t think I’m handsome? The most interesting guy you’ve ever met?” Taehyun smirks at you, candlelight casting strange shadows across his face and glinting off his wine glass.

As you open your mouth to respond to his sarcasm, the edges of your vision go black and you feel the fog of a vision rolling through your brain.

Several moments later, you notice Taehyun staring at you, wide eyes full of concern.

“What happened?”

He shakes his head, trying to clear the shock off his face. “What happened? I made a joke and then your face went blank and then you started saying something about my love life.”

“Anything good? Or are you doomed to die alone?”

Taehyun looks at you incredulously. “No, actually. Your voice was super monotone and you said something along the lines of, ‘You’ll find the one your heart desires, but they will not be as they seem.’ Do you not remember any of that?”

You shake your head. “Guess I’m not the one your heart desires, huh?” you add in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Taehyun’s brow scrunches in confusion, trying to parse out whether you’re upset or not. “I wouldn’t say that just yet-I told you I thought fortune telling wasn’t real. Though now I’m starting to doubt that…”

“I would never lie to you.”

His face smoothes out at this, a smile reappearing. “So how would you feel about a second date?”

“What about the fortune?”

“I’m not done figuring you out yet, Miss Know-It-All.”

—---------------------------------------------------

You stare at your ceiling before bed that night, pondering over what had happened at Cafe 553. You’d never blacked out telling someone’s fortune before, and you wonder why Taehyun was the first. You’d told his fortune the week before, so what was so different about tonight? Thinking about it starts to give you a headache, so you turn on your side, pull up your blankets and take comfort in the fact that even after everything that had happened, Taehyun wanted to see you again.

April

You’re on your way to a local bookstore when you suddenly turn to Taehyun.

“Did you lose something important?”

He seems confused. “No…? Why do you ask?”

“It’s just when I was working the opening shift at the bakery today, I had this vision that you lost something, I just couldn’t see what.”

The two of you walk in silence for a few moments, then Taehyun turns to you.

“I mean, I did lose my library book about carnivorous plants, but I don’t think that’s necessarily that important…”

“Education is a cornerstone of society, Taehyun, you know that! Honestly, working with kids I would hope you realize that-wait a minute…carnivorous plants?” You raise an eyebrow.

“What? I was thinking about getting a Venus flytrap…don’t judge me!”

May

“Cheers!” You clink your ice cream cone gently against Taehyun’s to celebrate the end of the school year, then quickly move to lick the drops that are starting to edge their way down the side of your cone.

“I predict this summer’s gonna be a hot one.”

“You trying to steal my job?” you laugh. 

“Please, if I was a fortune teller, I’d run you out of town.”

“No you wouldn’t, you’d miss me too much,” you smirk.

Taehyun grabs you by the hand and pulls you against his chest, making sure to avoid ice cream falling.

“You’re right, I would,” he grins and drops a quick kiss to your lips. “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a while now…be my girlfriend? Officially?”

“What is this, high school?” you snort.

“Well I do work with kids, and my bandmates have the maturity of 16 year olds, so that tracks, honestly. What do you say?”

You lift up on your tiptoes to land another kiss on his lips.

“I say…yes.”

June

You’re under an umbrella, hair fanned out across Taehyun’s lap as you look out at the waves crashing onto the shore. You’d both taken a day trip out to the beach as a break-you from work, him from practice and his bandmates.

“Is it really all that bad? You’re playing a festival at the end of summer, that’s exciting!”

He smiles down at you and gently moves a strand of hair off your face.

“No, it’s not that bad. I love the guys, they’re my best friends. I just needed to get away for a little bit, have a change of scenery. It’s hard work being the lead vocalist, you know.” Taehyun winks cheekily, and you swat his leg.

“I didn’t know I was dating a rock star.”

He leans towards you, landing a quick peck on your lips. “Well, now you do.”

You roll your eyes as you sit up, though you can’t help laughing as well. You reach a hand out towards him. “Come on, let’s go swim! We didn’t come to the beach to just stare at it.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You may not have, but I am quite content to sit here and people watch. And wave watch.”

A pout works its way onto your lips, and you send your best puppy-dog eyes your boyfriend’s way.

“C’mon, Tyunnie…who’s going to save me if a shark comes?”

He’s unimpressed. “A lifeguard, that’s who.”

“Please?” you whine as Taehyun gets up off the blanket, dusting sand off his swim trunks.

“Nice try.”

“...fine,” you pout, turning towards the water and starting to walk towards the shoreline.

You’ve gone about ten steps when you suddenly feel a hand wrap around your shoulders and then your feet have left the ground.

Taehyun has swept you up bridal style into his arms and is running towards the water.

“What are you doing?!” you shriek, clinging onto his shoulders for dear life.

“You said you wanted to go swimming, I’m just helping you out!” he pants breathlessly, laughing. His smile lights up his whole face.

“Taehyun, stop-”

But it’s too late. As he runs into deeper waters, he unceremoniously drops you into the ocean. Two minutes later, you’ve dragged him under with you.

You wouldn’t have it any other way.

July

You’re tucked into Taehyun’s side, his arm wrapped around you and your head on his shoulder. It’s the middle of summer and you’re both sweating profusely in the heat, even in his apartment, but you can’t help feeling like things are perfect. You let out a contented sigh, and Taehyun squeezes your shoulder.

“How was your day, love?”

You can’t help the light pink that dusts your cheeks at the term of endearment-though you’d been dating for a few months now, you still weren’t used to him being so soft towards you.

“It was fine…better now, though.” You smile up at Taehyun, but he draws back from you, concern lacing his features.

“Better now? Did something happen?”

“I just had another weird vision. I was at work and I saw us in this dimly lit room with weird lighting. I couldn’t figure out what was going on, and I went up to you to say something, but next thing I knew, my coworker was telling me that I had started talking in monotone, like I did at Cafe 553, and I couldn’t remember anything I said.”

Taehyun’s eyes go wide and he pulls you into his side again, rubbing soothing circles on your arm.

“Did your coworker say anything about what you said?”

“Apparently it was mostly incoherent mumbling, but I kept saying your name over and over again…”

The two of you sit in silence for a while. You’re starting to regret bringing up anything at all when Taehyun suddenly extracts himself from you and strides over to his bookshelf, clearly looking for something specific.

“What are you-” you start, but he cuts you off.

“Here it is! I knew I had read something about this-when visions start to become blurry, it is usually due to a blockage to the user’s magic. Maybe that’s what happened to you!” He turns around, book open and eyes sparkling.

“Taehyun, what even is that? Do you…have a book about fortune telling?”

He closes the book and holds it to his side, scratching the back of his head and looking bashful.

“Once we started dating, I got some books about it because I wanted to understand it more…I wanted to understand you more. I felt a little out of my depth, y’know?”

You walk over to him, wrapping your arms around his neck and meeting his wide-eyed gaze.

“You’re cute, you know that?”

“You’re not weirded out?” Taehyun looks shocked at your reaction, and you lean upwards to give him a quick kiss.

“Never.”

August

“Our last song is a newer one…are you ready?!”

The crowd roars to life around you. You’re out at the local park for Summer Sendoff, a big outdoor festival that Taehyun and his bandmates had been invited to be a part of. You’d surprisingly never seen them play live, just heard snippets of whatever song happened to be stuck in Taehyun’s head at any given time.

“I know Yeonjun writes a lot of our music, but I wanted to make sure that everyone knew that I wrote this one…it’s very special to me, because it’s about someone who’s very special to me. I love you, Rae.” 

Your mouth drops open as the crowd starts murmuring, wondering who this mysterious girl is. You’re in shock-this is the first time Taehyun has said he loves you, and you’re not quite sure what to do with yourself. You’re glad he used your fortune telling name so everyone wouldn’t be able to figure out who you were, but you also feel like your heart might burst open with how much emotion you’re feeling.

The song that Taehyun wrote is beautiful, and you can tell he’s put so much effort into it. His voice soars with emotion, and when Beomgyu joins him to harmonize, you realize you have tears running down your cheeks. 

The song comes to an end all too quickly, and you shove your way through the crowd to make your way backstage. There is security and staff everywhere, but you catch a glimpse of Taehyun’s head through the masses and sprint towards him. 

A giant smile breaks across his face as he catches you and spins you around before setting you back down on your feet.

“What did you think?”

He looks expectantly at you.

“I love you too, Taehyun.”

September

The smell of freshly baked bread and cookies wafts around you as you shuffle around, making sure that the display cases at the bakery are ready to go. Heading into fall, everything is pumpkin and apple flavored and it makes you smile. 

The bell tinkles over the door into the shop and you turn to tell whoever it is that the bakery doesn’t open for another 15 minutes, and you are surprised to see your boyfriend in the doorway. He’s slightly out of breath, and he has a tote bag in his hands.

“Taehyun? What are you doing here?”

He sweeps his bangs out of his eyes and smiles at you, even while coughing trying to catch his breath. He holds out the tote towards you, shaking it so you take it. You open it, looking inside.

“You forgot your lunch…you have a double shift today, right?”

“Yeah I do, but I could’ve just gone out for lunch, silly! I appreciate it though.”

He gives you a small smile, suddenly seeming nervous.

“What? Is there something else?” You lift up the containers with the lunch Taehyun had prepared for you and feel fabric underneath.

“I packed an outfit for you to change into after work.”

You look up at Taehyun again, confused.

“I wanted to take you on a surprise date after work!” he exclaims. “...only if you want,” he adds shyly.

“Of course it is! I would love that,” you beam happily at him, and he matches your smile.

“Okay good. Just wear that outfit and the rest will be a surprise. I figured we could celebrate our 6 month anniversary a week early.”

You nod eagerly, then start to shoo him out of the bakery.

“We’re about to open, you need to go before my boss sees you! I love you, I’ll see you later.”

Taehyun rushes forward to drop a kiss on your lips and turns to leave, but you reach out and suddenly stop him.

“Did you need something else?”

You shake your head, simply handing him a small paper bag.

He raises his eyebrow in question.

“A pumpkin spice muffin for the road…a muffin for my muffin,” you giggle.

Taehyun rolls his eyes, but you can see the tips of his ears go pink.

“See you later…cupcake.”

October

“I dunno, Taehyun. I feel so…exposed.”

You feel his warm hands wrap around your midriff from the back, landing on your hips. You’ve dressed up for a Halloween party that Yeonjun is throwing, and the crop top and skirt you’re wearing is vastly different than how you’re used to dressing. You’re not the thinnest person in the world, and the skirt is a little shorter than you’d like.

“You look hot,” he murmurs into your neck, squeezing your hips lightly and landing a kiss where his breath had just fanned out. Goosebumps erupt over your skin, and he lets out a small laugh. 

You make eye contact through the mirror in front of you, but the intensity of Taehyun’s stare makes you look away. Even with his ridiculous costume, he still gives you butterflies.

“Hey…you do look amazing, I’m not just saying that. I’d be willing to show you later how hot I think you are too, if you want.” One of his hands starts to trail upwards towards your chest while the other works its way towards your backside. Before he can go any further, you elbow him in the stomach.

“Hey, what was that for? Can’t a mad scientist show appreciation for his creation?”

You can’t help giggling as you turn and fully take in his costume. He’s got goggles pushed up on his forehead, hair tousled wildly with a stained lab coat on and makeup creating dark circles under his eyes.

“This rag doll creation appreciates her creator ever so much, but we’ll be late if we don’t leave in the next five minutes…I’ll indulge you in a science lesson later.”

Taehyun pouts at you, but grabs your hand and leads you to the door.

“As long as the lesson’s in anatomy,” he winks. 

—-----------------------------------------

The party is massive-pounding music you can feel in your bones, strobe lighting, and lots of booze.

You and Taehyun had done the rounds, finding all your friends and his bandmates, complimenting everyone’s costumes and makeup.

After a couple of hours, Taehyun pulls you to a quieter corner of the party.

“Finally I can hear myself think!” he exclaims, sighing and sliding down the wall to sit.

“Yeah, I was starting to get a headache,” you agree, joining him and placing your head on his shoulder.

You sit there in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the muffled bass and noise of the crowd.

Suddenly, Taehyun lets out a low chuckle.

“What’s funny?”

“I just realized something…something that’s been bugging me for a while now.”

You hum in reply, encouraging him to go on.

“You remember that vision you had on our first date? Where you told me that I would find the one my heart desires, but they wouldn’t be as they seemed?”

You think back to March…it seems so long ago, but also like it was just yesterday.

“Well I don’t exactly remember it, but yeah, what about it?”

“I just realized…it’s been you this whole time.”

You jerk your head off his shoulder to look at him. “What?”

“Yeah…I fell for you pretty quickly.” His cheeks are dusted pink at this admission. “I brushed off your vision because I liked you so much. But I just now realized the vision was about you. You were definitely not what I expected…but now? It’s Halloween. You’re ‘not who you seem’, but it’s on purpose!” He looks at you triumphantly.

As he was talking, you had been running through the past few months in your head as well. “All those visions I had where I couldn’t remember anything about them…it’s because they all were about myself. No wonder I couldn’t remember, it’s textbook fortune teller stuff! They say you can’t ever see your own future, at least not clearly.”

Taehyun looks confused. “Who’s ‘they’?” he asks.

“Oh, my mom also can see visions. And my grandmother too.” Taehyun’s eyes go wide at this and you laugh. “Don’t worry about it, I can explain more later. I’m just really happy.”

“Because you finally know what was going on?”

“I mean, yes…but also because it’s you. At first, I didn’t think much of the vision since we had only been on one date, but as time went on, I fell in love with you. I didn’t want you to find someone else, especially not someone who ‘wasn’t as they seemed’...that just sounded sketchy at best and toxic at worst.”

“Aw, Rae…were you jealous?”

“Maybe a little bit. I wanted you to myself, thanks very much.”

Taehyun smirks at this.

“So what about that anatomy lesson? Do you see that in your future?”

You lean forward, lips hovering over his.

“Maybe it’ll happen, maybe it won’t…I can’t see my own future, remember? A shame, I really do have a thing for mad scientists.”

And with that, your lips connect with his, a searing heat flowing through your body at the contact.

You may not be able to see your own future, but somehow, some way, you know he has a place in it.

—-----------------------------------------------------

Check out my other work here!

Taglist: @hyungieyoongi @alpacaparkaseok @derinxfam

200 notes for regency Beomgyu…thanks everyone!!

This Love

Pairing: Beomgyu x reader with a tiny bit of Taehyun x reader

Genre: Fluff, a little angst, Regency!AU

Tropes: Childhood friends to enemies to lovers, miscommunication, slight love triangle

Word Count: 8.6k

Warnings: SFW, mentions of blood

Synopsis: Once upon a time, you were in love with Choi Beomgyu...but that was before you grew up, he left, he changed, and now you want nothing to do with him. So why is it that you can't seem to escape him, even when another man is courting you?

Author's Note: This is a part of A Season of Refreshments and Courtship collab! Other fics will be posted throughout the month, so be sure to check those out. This story was heavily inspired by This Love by Taylor Swift...obsessed!

“You truly don’t know how horrid you are, do you?” Your eyes narrow as you tilt your head upwards, looking at the man across from you directly in the eyes.

His eyes sparkle playfully as he steps closer, hand outstretched to take your own in his palm.

“Please, enlighten me…nothing would make my heart more glad than for you to regale me with your opinions on my upstanding character.”

You let out a huff in response, gripping his hand tighter than necessary as you take light steps around his lanky figure.

“Firstly, you cannot hardly go more than a moment without mentioning your skill at fencing-an admirable skill in a normal person, but must you drone on and on at length? Secondly, you refuse to take your role as your father’s heir seriously.” At this, the gentleman across from you opens his mouth to refute your claim, but you barrel on. 

“Most importantly, you are a rake…don’t think I haven’t heard about your exploits via Yeonjun,” you hiss, glancing over your shoulder at your older brother before bringing your gaze back to the man you’re dancing with.

“Ah yes, yours truly, the most devious rake of the ton. That must be why your mother invited me to the opera with your family tomorrow night?” A smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth as he sees you try to hide your look of dismay. “Something about trying to get you married off soon…seems I’m one of the most eligible bachelors of the season. A far cry from a rake, I’d say.”

Marrying Choi Beomgyu…what on earth was your mother thinking? Did she want you to be miserable for all of your days?

—---------------------------------------

“Is it true? Mother wants to marry me off?” You’ve cornered Yeonjun the next morning after breakfast.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, avoiding eye contact.

“Surely you can’t be that surprised? You are of a marriageable age, sister.”

“Yes…but isn’t your engagement enough to be getting on with? Why worry about me?” You pace across the room, and Yeonjun brings his gaze up to follow your movements. 

“She’s occupied somewhat with my engagement, but you know better than anyone that she wants to make sure you’re taken care of. It’s different for a woman, you know that. I’m expected to be the head of the household now…she just wants to make sure you have someone that can provide for you.”

“...I can provide for myself,” you seethe, collecting the plates and silverware from breakfast and bringing them to the sink.

Yeonjun sighs. “I know you can, but I also know that Mother won’t rest until she finds a suitable match for you.”

“A suitable match being Choi Beomgyu?” You glare at your brother, daring him to affirm your statement. 

“W-what?!” He splutters incredulously as you let out a small laugh at his expression.

“According to Beomgyu himself, he’s been invited to attend the opera with us tonight. Because Mother thinks he may be a good match for me.” You roll your eyes in a most unladylike fashion, but at this juncture, who is around to care?

“Just because the two of you used to be childhood friends doesn’t mean you’d be a good match now. I suppose I did catch the two of you kissing in the garden once when you were thirteen though…” Yeonjun raises an eyebrow at you while letting out a laugh.

“We were CHILDREN, I didn’t know any better. I didn’t think he’d turn out so…so…immature and ridiculous!”

“He is rich, though. And handsome.” 

It’s your turn to raise an eyebrow.

“What? I’m just stating facts. The rich part is probably what Mother’s interested in though. That and the fact that our families have been friends for goodness knows how long. If you don’t want to marry him, you’d better find someone else suitable to go in his place…and fast.”

—-------------------------------------- 

Turns out that ‘someone’ Yeonjun mentioned wasn’t so hard to find.

“I’d like for all of you to meet Kang Taehyun, one of my best friends from our boarding school days…he’s fresh from his Grand Tour of the continent!” Beomgyu waves his arm with a flourish, stepping to the side to reveal a handsome blond gentleman with sharp features and wide eyes standing behind him.

“The pleasure is all mine, I can assure you.” Taehyun lowers his head in a bow to the group, which consists of your parents, Yeonjun, his fiancee Eliza, and yourself. His gaze lingers on you a beat longer than the others, which doesn’t go unnoticed by either you or your mother. As you take your seats, Taehyun makes it a point to sit to your right, and Beomgyu sits on your left. 

You sit in silence through act one of the opera, entranced by the talent of the performers on stage. As though a cue was given to the both of them, the two men to either side of you lean towards you.

“It’s rather boring, don’t you think?” Beomgyu whispers rather loudly while sending you a smirk.

“They’re so talented, don’t you think?” is Taehyun’s counter, smiling gently at you with sparkling eyes.

You smooth your skirts as you adjust in your chair to be facing more towards Taehyun, ignoring Beomgyu’s comment completely, which causes him to immediately begin sulking in his seat.

As you chat with the newcomer throughout the remainder of the performance, you discover that Taehyun just arrived from Rome, where he had been studying art.

“I’ve returned with so many paintings, I simply couldn’t bear to only have a few. I’d love to show you them, if your ladyship would be interested, of course.”

You can’t help the grin that makes its way across your face at his request.

“I would be delighted, Taehyun. In return, I can show you some of my work-I write in my spare time, and I hope to become a published author one day.” 

At this admission, Taehyun’s eyes grow wide and he eagerly nods in interest.

“Surely you can’t be serious?” Beomgyu scoffs from behind you. You turn to look at him, and confusion clouds Taehyun’s face.

“Surely I can’t be serious about what?” you counter, daring him to make a scene in public.

“You’ve just met the man, and you’re offering to show him your writing because he wants to show off the paintings he bought while he was in Italy? Doesn’t seem quite a fair trade-off to me.” 

“Just because you lost interest in my writings years ago, doesn’t mean no one else wants to read them, Beomgyu. Some of us want to actually make something of ourselves, and have an impact on the world. Don’t you think there must be more to life than gambling, fencing, and breaking women’s hearts?”

Hurt races across Beomgyu’s face for two seconds before he schools his face back into neutrality. Before he has the chance to reply, you’ve turned back towards Taehyun.

“Now, what were we discussing?”

The gentleman in front of you shakes his head, taken aback by the exchange he had just witnessed. “Just…just your writings. I must say, Miss Y/L/N, that was rather forward of you just now with Beomgyu. Are you always this forthcoming with your opinions?”

You raise an eyebrow, unsure of whether you’re being judged or not.

“Yes, I tend to speak my mind more often than not. Why do you ask?”

Taehyun reaches for your gloved hand, bringing it to his lips and looking up at you.

“Women with wit tend to make life more interesting, that’s all.” 

—----------------------------------------

The next morning, you awake to your mother opening the curtains in your room, sunlight streaming onto your face.

“Get up, you have to get ready!”

“For what?” you grumble, pulling the covers towards your head to block out the light. This does nothing to deter your mother, who simply pulls the covers completely off the bed, leaving you no choice but to get up.

“Morning calls, of course! You’ve already received flowers from Beomgyu today, which is very kind of him.” Your mom smiles warmly, which you can’t help but roll your eyes at.

“Y/N, don’t be so unbearable! Beomgyu has been nothing but nice to you for years, and you used to be such good friends when you were small…what happened? His mother and I always imagined the two of you would be betrothed!”

“Don’t remind me,” you groan, your mother’s smile faltering as she goes to leave. She is quick to replace it with a smug look as she turns back to you in the doorway. 

“You’ve also received a lovely bouquet from Mr. Kang, if that’s of any interest. You’ll need to be ready to receive both of them in the foyer in an hour, so make haste.” And with that, she’s gone.

—--------------------------------

An hour later, you’re nervously scuffing your foot against the floorboards awaiting the arrival of your two potential suitors…the thought alone makes you want to turn and run far, far away.

Choi Beomgyu, your childhood best friend. A long time ago, you would have jumped at the chance to marry him. He made you laugh, he was sweet, and he believed in all of your dreams, no matter how lofty they were. He was quick to see the best in situations, treated your family well, and yes…he was handsome, and had frustratingly only gotten more so as he’d grown older. 

But that was before everything changed. He’d gone away to boarding school at fourteen, the only communication between the two of you letters. The letters eventually stopped after a couple of years. You supposed you’d just grown apart, a natural side effect of growing up…but then you heard the rumors about his gambling. Womanizing. When he returned, any interactions with you seemed like he was only trying to get under your skin for the fun of it. He wasn’t the Beomgyu you had been enamored by as a young girl, and it both angered you and made you feel like there was a small hole in your heart. It was unfair-you had remained the same, and he’d become a worse version of himself.

On the other hand, there was Kang Taehyun. Though wary of the fact that he was friends with Beomgyu, you could tell from your interactions at the opera that they were not the same type of person. Taehyun shared a lot of your interests, wasn’t threatened by the fact that you had ambition or opinions, and seemed to even enjoy the fact that you were more than willing to put Beomgyu in his place when needed. He too was handsome, though in a different way than Beomgyu was. You were somewhat surprised that he had made his intentions clear this early on-was he someone that you could see yourself marrying? You had just about given up on the idea of a love match, believing that a marriage of convenience was the best you could hope for. And as far as convenience went, Taehyun didn’t seem too bad of an option…he couldn’t be any worse than Beomgyu, after all.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock at the door, and the entrance of both men in question. No sooner than the obligatory pleasantries had passed, Beomgyu was stepping forward, asking you to take a walk through the garden. 

“Actually, I would rather-” Your sentence is cut off by a quick nudge of your mother’s elbow to your ribs, as she gives you a look.

“I’d love to,” you manage to spit out without looking completely disgusted, threading your arm through his when he offers it.

As you walk into the bright sunlight, there is silence for a few moments until Beomgyu breaks it, speaking slightly too loud at first and then adjusting his tone.

“Lovely weather we’re having.”

“Yes, I suppose it is rather pleasant. Company withstanding, of course.”

“I cannot be that bad, Y/N. I’ve had many glowing reviews from other ladies who have spent afternoons in my company.” Beomgyu grins at you, and you remain stone faced. “What?”

“Why, pray tell, do you think I want to hear about all the time you have spent with other eligible women? Isn’t that the last subject you should be broaching with someone you seem hellbent on marrying whether she is interested or not?” Your voice is getting louder with each sentence, face flushing due to both your emotions and the heat of the day.

“I was only jesting, I didn’t mean-” Beomgyu starts, eyes wide with shock.

“You never do mean much, do you? It’s rather bigheaded of you to think you can just come waltzing back into my life without so much a care in the world, assuming you’ll be able to swoop in and marry me!” You’re surprised to find tears swimming in your eyes, which you quickly brush away.

Beomgyu steps forward tentatively, reaching towards your hand, but you snatch it back out of his reach. He falters, rubbing the back of his neck and not quite able to look you in the eyes.

“Once upon a time, you said you wanted to marry me…”

“Yes, Beomgyu, when we were kids and I didn’t know any better. Before I knew what I wanted.”

He looks up, brown eyes searching yours, like he might find a secret you’ve been keeping all these years. “And what’s that?”

Just then, Taehyun strides up the path, calling out to you. You wipe the last tear away from your face, and school your features into a smile before you turn away from Beomgyu.

“Taehyun! How nice to see you again.”

—--------------------------------------

Like your walk with Beomgyu, your walk with Taehyun through the garden starts in silence, the two of you admiring the bright blooms that adorn each side of the path.

Taehyun eventually clears his throat and turns to you, bright eyed but seeming slightly timid.

“Miss Y/L/N…forgive me if this is too personal a question, but are you alright? It seemed like your conversation with Mr. Choi was getting rather heated, and I never like to see a lady upset.”

You let out a small sigh and gaze into Taehyun’s eyes, trying to decide whether to be honest. His earnestness sways you-you may be marrying him after all, so what’s the harm in telling the truth?

“I am…alright. It’s just, Beomgyu and I have a lot of history, we’ve known each other since we were children. He knows all the ways to get under my skin, and chooses to use that to torment me endlessly…yet now he believes that he should have the privilege of being my betrothed, when none of his actions or words seem to line up if that’s the goal he has in mind.”

Taehyun is quiet as he ponders over what you’ve said, guiding you towards the center of the garden.

“He talks about you a lot, you know.”

You glance up, eyes wide in surprise and Taehyun chuckles.

“It’s true. When I first met Beomgyu at boarding school, he had a hard time making friends. And the friends he did make, he was always talking about you. Days when he’d receive letters from you, you couldn’t dampen his mood no matter how hard you tried. He cares for you a great deal even now, even if he’s too bullheaded to show it properly.”

Taehyun pauses now and faces toward you. “The question is, how do you feel about him?” 

It’s only then that you notice where the two of you have stopped-the dead center of the garden, in front of the willow tree where Yeonjun had caught Beomgyu kissing you on the cheek all those years ago. You had been beyond embarrassed that your older brother had caught the two of you, but Beomgyu had only beamed while flushing a deep scarlet. “Are you planning on marrying my sister, hmm?” Yeonjun had laughed. You had run away before you could be embarrassed any further.

You’re shaken back to the present by Taehyun repeating his question to you.

“When I was a foolish little girl, I entertained the notion of marrying Beomgyu when I was older. He changed when he went away to boarding school, and that is that. I am much more interested in pursuing other avenues to marriage…namely you, if you will have me, that is.” 

You have the sense to at least look away from Taehyun as you say this, knowing it was potentially crossing the line, even for you who was used to saying whatever came to mind. 

Taehyun’s laughter rings out across the garden, and when you look up, his eyes are sparkling with mirth. “Well, when you put it that way, how could I refuse? You surely do know how to keep a man on his toes. Shall I declare my intentions then?”

A light flush dusts your cheeks, pleased that he is interested in marriage and at the fact that this will free you from Beomgyu’s efforts once and for all.

“I will have my mother arrange a picnic, and we shall be the talk of the ton.”

—------------------------------------------

Your mother is only too eager to prepare an extravagant picnic once you tell her about Taehyun’s intentions to declare an engagement.

“I knew you two would be a good match! He’s so kind, and he comes from a good family. You’ll be well taken care of!” 

You can’t help but roll your eyes good-naturedly, but her excitement is contagious and you find yourself looking forward to the picnic…and dare you say it, your impending engagement. Taehyun is pleasant company, and maybe, just maybe-eventually you may grow to love him. That thought alone causes faint butterflies to erupt in your stomach.

The day of the picnic arrives, sunny and warm. You put on a brand new dress your mother had gifted you, a soft lavender, and once you step outside, you see that company has already started to arrive. 

There are multiple tents set up with food and drink, croquet is set out on the lawn, and people are milling about chatting with each other. Movement in your periphery draws your attention, and as you turn, you see Beomgyu approaching you. You give a polite curtsy as he inclines his head toward you. 

“You look…” He seems at a loss for words.

“...yes?”

“You look beautiful.” There is no trace of humor in his voice, and his eyes glow with warmth as he holds eye contact a beat more than is proper.

“She always does, doesn’t she?” Taehyun appears on your other side, offering you his arm which you gladly take. “Catch up with you later?” He offers to Beomgyu, leading you away to make the obligatory social rounds as one of the hostesses of the event.

—-------------------------------

The picnic is a rousing success-that is, until there’s a commotion over at one of the tents. You head that way, curious what is causing such a disturbance. You maneuver through the gathered crowd, only to see Beomgyu and Taehyun at the center.

“A fencing match, for old time’s sake?” 

Of course Beomgyu is trying to cause chaos in the middle of what is supposed to be your engagement announcement…because why not?

“If you’re willing to be embarrassed and lose in front of everyone, absolutely.”

Your head whips around to look at Taehyun, surprised to see him take the bait. He’s smiling coolly, confident in his abilities. Meanwhile Beomgyu has a wild glint to his eyes-you know he’s competitive, but there’s something else there you can’t quite place.

The two men march away from the tent to an open space, and Yeonjun appears with two fencing sabres seemingly out of nowhere. Taehyun and Beomgyu each remove their jackets and take up the proper stance.

“En garde!” Beomgyu shouts, and the impromptu match begins. It goes on for longer than you think, and surprisingly all the bragging Beomgyu had done about his fencing skills weren’t just for show. He’s keeping up with Taehyun, and occasionally getting a few jabs in.

Your mother gives a loud and obvious ‘tsk’, and as you turn to look at her, Beomgyu’s voice rings out across the yard, almost a growl and deeper than his normal baritone.

Your gaze flies to the source of the sound, and you can see Beomgyu clutching at his shoulder, a bright red blooming under the stark white of his shirt.

Taehyun steps forward, forehead scrunched in concern, reaching out to examine the wound, but before he can reach the man in front of him, you’ve beaten him to it.

You don’t recall how you got from the tent you’d been standing under to Beomgyu, and you don’t particularly care. Up close, you can tell that he’s lost a decent amount of blood, and as you look up your eyes lock. He’s clearly shocked that you’re standing in front of him, his breath tickling the stray hairs that have fallen across your forehead in the heat of the day.

“Miss Y/L/N…” he murmurs. “I’ll be fine, I just need to wash up.”

Without saying a word, you grab his hand not attached to his wounded shoulder, leading him up to the house while the crowd watches on, flabbergasted. As the two of you move away, whispers start flying. 

You pay them no mind, marching Beomgyu through the front door and into the bathroom. You force him to sit, rolling up his sleeve just past his elbow. Though the shirt is loose-fitting, you can’t get it to roll up any further. 

“I’m…just…trying…to see!” you exclaim, watching the sleeve get caught on Beomgyu’s bicep yet again.

“Here, let me.” He gently pushes your hand out of the way, and using his uninjured arm, balls up the fabric and pulls harshly…so harshly, there’s a loud ripping noise as his left sleeve completely detaches from his shirt. 

You’re left gaping at his exposed arm for two reasons. One, the open wound on his shoulder is bleeding more freely now that there is no barrier stopping it. Two, even beneath all the blood that’s started to cake, you can see defined muscles that were most certainly not there before Beomgyu went off to boarding school.

“Are you okay?” Beomgyu’s voice startles you back to the present, where you swiftly take a cloth, soak it with lukewarm water, and begin to gently clean on and around his wound. He grimaces as you have to use more pressure closer to the cut.

“At least it’s relatively surface level, at least from what I can see. You should be okay if you don’t use a wide range of motion, I think.” You stand back, admiring your handiwork after wrapping the wound in clean strips of cloth.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, and as you glance up, he meets your gaze with an intense stare. 

“Is there something wrong? Is it too tight? I can rewrap it-”

“What do you see in him?”

You’re left agog at Beomgyu’s sudden question. “W-what?”

“What do you see in him?” He repeats, softer and almost shyly.

“Who?” You quirk an eyebrow, wondering if he’s really inquiring into your love life after his arm has been sliced open.

“Taehyun.”

He is.

“He’s kind, and from a good family. He’s intelligent, and doesn’t think that I’m silly for wanting to write stories for a living. Taehyun likes that I have opinions, it’s…refreshing.”

Beomgyu’s eyes narrow slightly as it seems he is considering your words. Silence fills the small space, and as it continues, it feels like you’re starting to suffocate. 

Just when you think you can’t take it any longer, his response shatters the tension, but replaces it with something else.

“I’ve always loved your stories. And hearing your opinions.” Your eyes go wide. “Our families have been friends for years. I’m smart enough.” As he continues, Beomgyu stands and moves closer to you. “I’m not always the kindest person, but I would never mistreat you.”

You’re inches apart now, but you won’t stand for Beomgyu and whatever he’s trying to pull to ruin your potential engagement to Taehyun. Not even if your heart feels like it’s beating so hard it might fall out of your chest. You glare up at the man in front of you.

“Beomgyu, are you jealous?”

He raises his hand to your shoulder, tracing along the lavender lace that sits on the seam of your dress. Just as you move to swat his hand away, he speaks and you’re left stunned.

“Does Taehyun know that I left a permanent mark on you?” He slides the fabric an inch or two, leaving your collarbone exposed. Beomgyu then moves his fingers to gently ghost over an almost invisible scar that starts at your shoulder, his touch causing both the sensation of butterflies and a deep longing to fling yourself at him as he stops just as the scar dips towards your decolletage. 

Heat burns its way through your body, landing on your cheeks. Beomgyu had given you that scar when you were children, a fencing match with sticks gone awry.

“He doesn’t,” you breathe, unable to form any other words as his hand lifts your chin, forcing you to make eye contact.

“If you’ll have me, he never will.” Beomgyu’s baritone wraps around you and it's as if you can feel his words seeping into your very bones.

Just then, the door flies open and there stands Taehyun.

“I just wanted to check on…oh.” His wide eyes take in the scene before him. Your dress pushed off your shoulder, Beomgyu’s hand under your chin, and your proximity to each other.

“Taehyun, it’s not what it looks like, I can explain!” You hastily push Beomgyu’s hand away, slipping your dress back fully onto your shoulder and moving towards the man in the doorframe.

“I’ll just see myself out.” He simply backs away through the door, closing it behind him like he was never there. Strangely, he didn’t seem angry. There was an odd look in his eyes that you couldn’t quite place, though.

“Beomgyu, I’m sorry, I have to go, I have to talk to him, I’m sorry!” You fling the door open yourself, following quickly after the man you were supposed to marry. 

Beomgyu is left behind, ripped shirt, pink cheeks, and looking for all the world like his heart’s been shattered into a million pieces.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

“Taehyun…Taehyun!” You’re out of breath, losing steam as you pick up your skirts to run after the man who had just left.

How had he managed to get so far in such a short amount of time?

You exit the house, round the corner to the gardens, and run headlong into something hard and solid, almost losing your balance.

Before you can fall to the ground, a pair of strong arms steadies you and you look up into the startled eyes of Taehyun himself.

“Miss…are you alright?” His wide eyes scan you for any sign of injury.

“I’m fine, thank you. I just needed to explain, what you saw back there isn’t what you think it is, I-”

Taehyun holds out an arm to you calmly. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

Bewildered, you take his arm, not sure what’s happening. He guides you into the garden, just as he had the day after you met. After a few moments of silence, you attempt to speak again.

“Taehyun, it’s not what you think.”

“And what exactly do you think that I think it is?” He raises an eyebrow at you, a hint of a smirk playing across his face.

“It’s just, well…I’m sure you must think that I am sneaking around behind your back with Choi Beomgyu. I’m not, I swear on it! I was just trying to help with his injury, and then he was just too close and, and…we are not together, I would never risk my honor in that way! I am still very much interested in you as a potential match.” Your arms are flailing around as you explain, cheeks burning in humiliation.

Taehyun gently reaches for your arms, bringing them down to your sides. He looks down at you, warmth and kindness emanating from his gaze.

“I do not think you are two-timing me, Miss Y/N. And though I am interested in you as a potential match as well, I am afraid I no longer think it would be best for me to follow through on my proposal to you.”

Your eyes widen in horror as the two of you come to a stop, again in front of the willow tree from your youth.

“Taehyun, I’m sorry! I-I,” you stammer, tears welling up in your eyes. You can’t believe this is happening-in one moment, any hopes for your future have been swept away. All because you let your guard down in front of your childhood best friend.

“Let me explain,” Taehyun murmurs, swiping away an errant tear that has fought its way down your cheek. “It has been beyond apparent to me that my old schoolmate is still deeply enamored with you, and has been since we were young. Time has done little to nothing to change that. Upon meeting you, I came to realize what he saw in you-you’re brilliant, driven, and won’t take no for an answer. Of course, you are also stunningly beautiful. I felt so incredibly lucky that you were interested in me rather than Beomgyu. However, as time has progressed, I got an inkling that there may have been some unresolved feelings on your end as well. You said there were not, and I believed you.”

“But I don’t-” you start to protest, Taehyun moving his finger in front of your lips.

“What I just saw proves my original inclination to be right…you do have feelings for Choi Beomgyu, whether you realize it or not. You may be deep in denial to yourself, Miss Y/N, but I know that the way you were looking at him was not the way you look at someone you detest. As much as it pains me to do so, I fear I must back out of this competition…I refuse to be the reason that the two of you cannot be together.”

By this point, tears are fully streaming down your face. You want to refute what Taehyun is saying, tell him he’s wrong…the problem is, you’re not sure he is.

“This is where I must take my leave. I wish you and Beomgyu all the best, and I hope that you are able to at the very least reconcile your differences, if nothing more.”

Taehyun gives a short bow, striding stiffly toward the front gate. As he moves out of sight, there’s a rustling movement behind you. You tense up, afraid that you’ve made too much noise, drawing guests from the picnic towards the gardens. You let out a sigh of relief as you realize it’s just Eliza, Yeonjun’s fiance. 

“Y/N, you look awful! Are you okay?” 

As she draws closer, tears start rolling down your cheeks again.

“What? What is it? What happened?” She’s swimming in front of you, your vision blurred as she envelops you in a hug.

“B-Beomgyu did.” His name alone makes you break down into full on sobs, muffled into Eliza’s shoulder.

—----------------------------------------------------

As you wipe your tears away, Eliza leads you over to a bench to sit down.

“Now, tell me what happened.” 

You steady yourself with a deep breath before launching into what feels like your entire life story. All the way back to childhood, long summer days spent running around the grounds with Beomgyu-fencing with sticks, climbing trees, and spying on your older brother, which makes Eliza giggle.

Boarding school, and writing letters back and forth to each other until suddenly you weren’t. Rumors of womanizing and gambling. How you had retreated into yourself, feeling utterly betrayed by your best friend. You’d begun to seriously focus on writing when all the while your mother had wanted you to focus on finding a proper marriage match.

Which leads you all the way up until now, Beomgyu being back. Assuming he could be one of your suitors. Taehyun. What had transpired in the bathroom, and your conversation with Taehyun.

“In conclusion, I have no marriage options, mother is going to be angry at me until the day I die, and Beomgyu is still beyond frustrating to me,” you huff, blowing loose hairs out of your eyes.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your mother has arranged a ball for this upcoming weekend in celebration of you and Taehyun’s impending proposal. Once Beomgyu got injured today, she figured it would be best to reschedule an event for that purpose.” 

You groan.

“Regardless, she’ll find out one way or another that the proposal isn’t going to happen. My question for you is-this business about Beomgyu’s injury and your conversation with Taehyun…is it true?”

You begin to pick at your fingernails as you think about Eliza’s question, eventually looking at her. “Does Beomgyu have feelings for me? I think he may have when we were younger, but as of right now, I have no-”

“That’s not what I’m asking, it’s plain as day that man has feelings for you, and I’ve barely interacted with him. What I’m asking is, how do you feel about him?” Eliza raises an eyebrow expectantly as your mouth drops open in surprise. “Close your mouth, you’ll attract flies.”

You let out a strangled laugh, and instead of answering her question, you reply with another.

“How did you know you loved Yeonjun?”

Eliza takes the question in stride, pondering for a few moments before she answers.

“I knew I loved your brother when the idea of being in a relationship with any other man held no interest for me. Yeonjun made it very clear from the beginning that he was only interested in me…he was always sending flowers and small trinkets, asking to accompany me on outings, writing letters that were surprisingly heartfelt for how I know him to be now.” You giggle, imagining your older brother being sentimental. “It took me longer to sort out my feelings, his attention was honestly overwhelming at times. But when I laid in bed at night, I would always think about when I would see him again before I fell asleep. That’s when I knew I loved Yeonjun…and I cannot be more pleased to be marrying him.” Her cheeks turn pink as she finishes.

“Does he ever make you mad?” you counter. 

“Of course! Every man can be frustrating, and every person for that matter. No one can agree with everyone all the time. But even when he angers me, I always want to make things right. I couldn’t stand it if we were at odds for too long.”

Eliza tilts her head curiously at you. “Why are you asking me all this?”

You think back to everything you’ve told her. Childhood crushes, teenage heartbreak. All the time spent, secrets shared. The injury running across your collarbone. Letters, so many letters…all of which had been shoved under your floorboard for safekeeping. Though you hadn’t looked at them in ages, you couldn’t quite bring yourself to throw them out either. Taehyun’s words echo through your mind…

“I know that the way you were looking at him was not the way you look at someone you detest.”

You look at Eliza, a rueful smile on your face.

“My feelings for Beomgyu are…complicated. I wish it was like the way you are with my brother, but he infuriates me to no end sometimes. If he cares for me, he needs to tell me so, otherwise we will be stuck in this endless loop of confusion and heartache for all eternity.”

And with that, you march back towards the house, leaving Eliza bewildered in your wake.

—------------------------------------------------------------

Eliza’s words prove true-your mother has busied herself with preparations for a ball, to be thrown in your honor. Every time you see her making plans, putting decorations up, anything, you know you should talk to her and tell her that you no longer have any marriage prospects, that you’ve made a mess of everything.

You come close one day, as she sweeps past you, gobs of flowy fabric in her hands. You call out to her, but as she turns to face you, she seems so happy that you swallow your words before they can even leave your mouth.

And that leads you to now…the night of the ball. Your stomach is roiling, and you almost feel lightheaded as you make your way towards the throng of people milling about. They’re here for you, for Taehyun. Your eyes dart around for the man in question, finding him chatting across the room with Yeonjun. You see your brother nod in your direction, and Taehyun turns, making eye contact with you. You both freeze for a moment. He then gives you a curt nod, and goes back to his conversation. Yeonjun raises an eyebrow to you in question, but you give a slight shake of your head in return.

“Penny for your thoughts?” A deep baritone whispers in your ear, making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

You turn, and it feels as if your breathing has been even more constricted than it already was by your undergarments. You’re met with Beomgyu’s brown eyes staring into your own, and as you skitter backwards in shock, his arms come up to hold you steady. 

“Are you alright? I apologize if I startled you.”

Your breath still seems to be caught in your throat, but you manage to nod meekly in response.

“Here, let me get you a drink.”

Beomgyu walks a few paces with you, grabbing a glass off a passing tray and handing it gently to you. You take a sip, the crisp bubbles seeming to open your throat again.

“How’s your arm?” you ask, eyes wide with concern. He shouldn’t be here at a ball when he’s injured, you think to yourself.

“Almost good as new, thanks to you…I had a doctor examine it as well, just in case, and he said he couldn’t have done a better job patching it up himself.” Beomgyu grins at you, twisting his arm at odd angles just to show you he can.

You smile in return, but he notices that it doesn’t quite meet your eyes.

“Is there something bothering you, darling?” 

Your heart skips a beat at his term of endearment, and your stomach goes queasy at the idea of telling him about everything that’s happened with Taehyun. You start wringing your hands together, unable to fully look Beomgyu in the eye. 

He reaches forward, untangling your hands with his own, running his thumbs gently over the backs of your hands which have started to turn red with irritation.

“You can tell me anything, always.” You don’t think you’ve ever seen him look this earnest in all the years you’ve known him, no trace of humor in his eyes.

Just as you start to reply, you hear a loud cough behind you. Beomgyu immediately releases your hands from his grasp, but it’s too late.

Your mother saw everything.

“Y/N, what is this? Shouldn’t you be dancing with Taehyun?” She looks between the two of you, clearly disappointed.

The brightness in Beomgyu’s eyes dulls a little as she speaks, and it’s almost as if you can see him withdrawing into himself.

“Mother, I’ve been trying to find a way to tell you this for days now…there will be no proposal.”

At this, her eyes go wide and Beomgyu’s eyebrows raise almost to his hairline.

“Why in the world not? What have you done to ruin things this time?” Your mother’s mouth is a thin line, anger written all over her face.

“I’m sure she can explain-” Beomgyu starts, trying to defend you.

“You are not a part of this conversation, Mr. Choi, so I suggest you see yourself out.” Though he’s taller, he shrinks under your mother’s vicious gaze.

“No need, I’m going to see myself out.” You glare at your mother, storming out of the ball so you can be anywhere but here. 

How dare she assume that it was your fault that things were called off? I mean, it sort of was, what with Taehyun arguing that not only did Beomgyu have feelings for you, but that it seemed you had feelings as well.

Your racing thoughts have brought you to the library which sits just off the main foyer. You pace the aisles, dust catching in the dim candlelight around the room. Eventually you slide down a bookcase to sit on the floor, head hung in your hands.

As you sit, breathing as deeply as you can manage in a corset, you hear the door creak open. You sit up straighter, bracing yourself to tell off some couple that’s snuck away from the party.

“Y/N, are you in here?” You’re surprised to see Beomgyu peeking around the corner of a bookshelf, breathing a sigh of relief once he sees you.

“...hi,” you manage weakly. He comes closer, choosing to slide down the bookcase to sit beside you.

“Hey.”

The two of you sit in silence for a few minutes, though it feels comfortable, not stifling.

“So…Taehyun was going to propose?” Beomgyu murmurs softly, though it feels as if the question takes up the whole room.

You look over at him and nod.

“What changed?” You can’t help but notice the twinge of sadness that seems to make his voice shake.

“Taehyun said that he couldn’t propose anymore. He didn’t want to ruin things.” You’ve begun wringing your hands again, and Beomgyu reaches to stop it by resting his hand on top of yours.

“Ruin what?”

You raise your gaze to meet his warm brown one. “He said you loved me…that you never stopped loving me.” Your voice is wobbly, and your stomach feels like it may drop completely out of your body.

Beomgyu lets out a short burst of laughter, which has you glaring at him in return.

“Why are you laughing?!” you huff.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…I just thought I had made it abundantly clear how I felt about you, that’s all.”

You stare at him, his expression unreadable.

“How…how do you feel about me?”

His hand wraps around your own, bringing it to his lips. Where his lips brush your skin feels like fire has erupted both upon the point of contact and within your heart.

“Taehyun’s right, I do love you. Always have, no matter how hard I tried not to.” He chuckles at your astonished face. “Surely you can’t be that surprised, dearest.” The candlelight is now reflecting in his eyes as he looks over at you, the sweetness in his gaze matching their chocolate color.

How have you been so blind all this time?

A sudden clattering noise steals your attention away from Beomgyu, and you look over to see the sheepish face of your brother placing books back onto a shelf that he’d knocked over.

As he tucks the final one away, he looks up and his embarrassment morphs into astonishment.

“What are you two…what the…did I-?” Yeonjun splutters, not even able to finish a complete thought.

“We were just talking, that’s all.” Beomgyu speaks up for the two of you.

Yeonjun’s eyes scan over the both of you, lingering on the fact that Beomgyu’s hand covers your own. Beomgyu makes no effort to retract his hand, his chin jutting out in defiance, as if he’s daring your brother to say anything else.

Yeonjun doesn’t take the bait, simply rolling his eyes and offering his hand out to you so you can stand. As you adjust your skirts, you look up to find him staring at you curiously.

“You’re expected out there, you know…mother will come looking for you if you don’t show up soon.” You move to follow him out the door, and almost crash into Yeonjun as he turns to face Beomgyu again. “And you-you wait a few minutes before leaving. Don’t want people getting the wrong idea.” With that he looks back at you, eyebrow raised, before striding out the door.

—--------------------------------------------------------------

You hurry down the hall after your brother, slightly out of breath by the time you catch up to him. The two of you walk in silence for a moment before he turns to look at you.

“Are you going to tell me what just happened, or do I have to put the pieces together myself?”

You round on your brother, incensed.

“Why do you need to know? Just so you can tell me to stay away from him like you have our entire lives?”

His steely gaze softens as he takes in your ire. “I just want to know, I’m your brother and I want to make sure you’re taken care of.” You narrow your eyes. “Those things I said about Beomgyu before…weren’t exactly…true.” Yeonjun looks ashamed and can’t quite meet your gaze.

“And what does that mean?”

“What I said about him being a womanizer isn’t true.”

“But why would you make up such a thing?”

“I saw how heartbroken you were once Beomgyu stopped writing you,” he starts.

“I was not-” you interrupt, but he continues talking.

“I know you keep his old letters under your floorboard to this day, sister, as much as you’ve tried to hide it. I saw how heartbroken you were, and I wanted to help. So I made those things up so you wouldn’t care for him any longer. I wanted you to have a proper chance at love, at happiness. It seems you’ve taken that into your own hands,” he smiles ruefully.

“...he said he loved me,” you breathe incredulously.

“Did you also believe he didn’t love you when he kissed you at thirteen?”

You shove Yeonjun’s arm in protest, and he just laughs.

“Eliza was right, you are blind.”

You’re approaching the crowd again, and you start to retort, but your brother starts drifting away from you.

“What’s that? I think I hear my fiancee calling me..”

You huff in indignation, doing your best to melt back into the crowd. 

—---------------------------------------------------

Your mother pretends as if nothing has happened once you make your reappearance. Yeonjun, on the other hand, keeps catching your eye across the room, motioning towards you and trying his best to wink, though it looks like rapid blinking. You can’t help but giggle at how silly he looks.

As promised, Beomgyu had waited several minutes before rejoining the festivities, but just as he moves to join you, you are surprised by Taehyun appearing at your side.

“Would you care to dance?”

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” you offer, which makes him smile as you take his outstretched hand.

You settle into a comfortable waltz, making small talk while turning about the ballroom. As the second half of the dance begins, you notice Beomgyu standing in the corner of the room, an unreadable expression on his face as he follows you and Taehyun with his eyes.

As Taehyun turns you through the dance, he notices him as well, sending a small smirk your way.

“He can’t keep his eyes off you, can he?” Your gaze jerks back to the man in front of you at his statement. “Should I expect a wedding invitation anytime soon?”

The air leaves your lungs at his question.

“What?” you choke out, “No, that’s not, we’re not-”

Taehyun’s brow scrunches in confusion. “Did he not tell you he loved you?”

“He did, but-”

“And did you not tell him you loved him in return?” he interrupts.

“It all happened so quickly, and I still thought he was a rake, but Yeonjun explained, and I-”

“Y/N, stop. As I said before, Beomgyu has loved you his whole life, he’s never looked at another woman the way he looks at you. Sure, he talks about fencing a little too much, but if that’s the most bothersome thing about him, surely you can find it in your heart to forgive.”

He’s smiling as he states his case, but you can’t find it in you to smile back. Yeonjun had lied to you about Beomgyu being a womanizer, and here Taehyun was corroborating his story. Your childhood best friend had been in love with you his whole life, and you are just now realizing that you might be able to actually be together. 

The music is dying down, and everything clicks into place…you need to find Beomgyu. Your eyes scan the room, but the one person you’re looking for is missing. 

“Taehyun, I have to go, I have to find him!” you exclaim, hurrying away as you hear a faint farewell behind you.

You move as quickly as possible through the crowd, still unable to find the man you’re looking for. Suddenly, you have an idea.

—----------------------------------------------------------

The night air is slightly chilly, a welcome reprieve from dancing as you make your way through the garden, the path illuminated by lantern light.

It’s as if your feet have a mind of their own, carrying you around a corner where you see broad shoulders in the shadow of the large willow tree.

He turns at the sound of your footsteps, a small smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes forming.

“I’ve been looking for you,” you say weakly.

“I thought you were busy dancing with Taehyun.”

“I was, and that’s why I need to talk to you,” you state matter-of-factly.

“Why, so you can tell me it was all a big mistake and you do want to marry him after all?”

As you draw closer to him, you can see his shoulders droop as his smile starts to disappear.

“Beomgyu-” 

You reach towards him and he turns away before your hand meets his cheek.

“Tell me you don’t love me.” His voice is dull and lifeless. “Tell me you want to marry him.”

“As usual, you have no idea what I want.” 

His face turns back to yours, confused. 

“Just say what you want, then!” 

His voice carries through the garden, and you can’t help but smile in response.

Beomgyu’s brow raises in confusion.

“I need to know once and for all, what are your feelings towards me? I want nothing more than to stay by your side always, but if you want me to leave, I will never bother you again.” You can hear the desperation in his voice as he draws closer, seemingly without realizing.

“That’s the thing…I think I want you to bother me for the rest of my life.”

You watch as the realization of what you said dawns on him, his eyes lighting up and a true smile breaking across his face. He starts to respond, but before he can say anything your lips are meeting his. His initial shock fades quickly, and he brings one hand to your waist and the other gently cradles the back of your neck.

You’re not sure how long the kiss lasts, but you feel as if you could stay forever in his embrace, in this moment. It just feels…right.

As the two of you separate, Beomgyu leans his forehead against yours, a wide smile on his face. You look into his eyes and laugh.

“You know, I do love you, but you are going to have to do something about how much you brag about fencing.”

His response is to dive in for another kiss, until you hear someone clearing their throat. You spring apart, only to see Yeonjun holding back laughter on the far side of the clearing.

“Can we at least expect a proposal this time around?”

You glare at your brother, but Beomgyu only laughs, drawing you close.

“If she’ll have me.”

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

Taglist: @hyungieyoongi, @alpacaparkaseok, @derinxfam

Check out my other work here!

PUT YOUR TONGUE AWAY SIR

HAN / ’CASE 143’ FANCAM (221008)

HA.

Jisung: what can I say, I’m charming and irresponsible

Felix: don’t you mean irresistible?

Minho: no he doesn’t

Thanks for the tag @hyungieyoongi! Any excuse to show off boyfie Beomgyu ☺️

Tagging @decembermoonskz @sunnysidefangirl

💌 lockscreen and home-screen tag game!

un-fashionably late to this, but thank you for thinking of me, dearest sana 🥺❤️ @sweetieguk

tagging: @taegularities @missgeniality @kookdiaries @haliiimede @jeonspub @ahundredtimesover @parkdatjimin @bangtanintotheroom @ugh-yoongi @gimmethatagustd @taleasnewastime

Hii bff , it's been awhile , how are you ???? I hope you've been doing well ♡♡

Hello hello!! I am doing well-it’s busy season for work, so tired but hanging in there! Working on a Halloween Taehyun fic that should be posted within the next week 👀 Hope you’re having an awesome week!